Amanda, An...Angel?
by Two Phantoms
Summary: Amanda's past comes back to haunt her
1. Amanda, An Angel - part 1

Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The Charlie's Angels characters belong to Aaron Spelling. The story is the property of our imagination, and is for entertainment purposes only.

Summary: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY/CHARLIE'S ANGELS CROSSOVER. Amanda's past has come back to haunt her. The timeline for this story is placed after the events of Stemwinder. We have based most of the events in this story on the SMK timeline. Therefore, some of the Charlie's Angels timeframes have been adjusted to fit into those of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We did our best to keep to the facts of both shows, with the exception of Charlie's Angels background for Sabrina. Wewanted to give Amanda a more experienced and adventurous background.

**We have read Kacey's SMK/CA crossover stories, and by no means are we trying to encroach on her ideas. Instead we thank her for giving us the idea for this story. She has been notified of our current story and has given us her permission to use some of her background details on why Amanda was Sabrina. Also, a very warm thank you to the SMKauthors for helping us make this story reach its full potential. **

Please feel free to Archive this anywhere, just let us know where.

This story has been rated R (for language and content)

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Amanda, An . . . Angel?

By Amy and Diane

***Chapter 1***

Amanda King stood in the Q-Bureau vault sorting files. Billy had assigned them the task of 'spring cleaning' all the files in the vault. She glanced at the handsome man across the room. She had known that he cared deeply for her from the first kiss they shared in this very office. A kiss they had both wanted for so long, a kiss that had answered so many questions. As she filed away their reports on Stemwinder, her thoughts drifted to what had occurred during that case. Lee had put into words what she had known from the excitement of their first kiss and the emotion she saw when she looked into his eyes. He was not a man to show emotion easily. She knew just how much courage it had taken for him to say 'I love you.' She knew now that all her hopes and prayers had been answered. She couldn't pinpoint the exact time she fell in love with Lee over the past three years, but she knew she had never, nor would she ever, love another as she did him.

Lee Stetson sat at his desk watching Amanda diligently working through the files. She looked so intent on what she was doing. She always got so enthusiastic and excited when she was working on an assignment, even the small unimportant ones. He realized that was one of the things he loved about her. Love. Lee Stetson was in love. Not since Eva, had Lee admitted to himself that he was in love with anyone. But Amanda was different. She was caring and sensitive. She was always there when he needed her, even though he had convinced himself that he would never need anyone and had tried to make the outside world believe that as well. Amanda King, however, wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She had been there for him when Paul Barnes had come back into town and turned his world upside down. She had kept an eye on him when Harry had been in trouble. She had saved his hide on so many occasions. A warm smile crossed his face as he thought about how much their relationship had transformed over the years. At first he resented having to work with a housewife from Virginia and now he would walk through fire for her. She was his partner, best friend, and the love of his life.

Lee rose from his chair to close the distance between them. He was halfway to his destination when the phone rang. "Damn interruptions," Lee mumbled.

"Stetson here."

"Scarecrow, I need you and Amanda down here on the double. I've got a new assignment that has been sent from the big man himself," Billy stated.

"What's up, Billy?"

"I tell you when you get here," Billy said, as he hung up the phone.

As Lee returned the receiver to its base, Amanda popped out of the vault. "Who was that?"

"Billy. He needs us down in his office. He's got a new assignment for the two of us." Lee smiled and shook his head. She always did get in the first word.

Amanda returned his warm smile and started for the door. "What do you think it is?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. She always got excited when she found out that they had a new case together.

"Don't know. Let's go find out." Lee opened the door for her to exit and followed her out into the hall.

**********

As they approached Billy's office, they could see that Francine was already there. She appeared to be having a heated conversation with Billy.

Lee knocked and then opened the door for Amanda to enter ahead of him.

"Francine, I understand, but I am the one who gives the orders," Billy said, as he nodded in Lee and Amanda's direction. "Have a seat you two."

Francine threw a few daggers Amanda's way as she took a seat on the couch.

Amanda took her usual seat in front of Billy's desk. "So what is our new assignment, Sir?"

Lee just smiled at her usual 'get right to the point' manner, as he took the seat beside her.

"Well, it seems that a very close friend of the President is asking the for our help. It appears that one of his associates has been kidnapped," Billy started explaining, "and the president's friend specifically asked for you to be on this case." He finished, looking directly at Amanda.

"Me Sir? But…" Amanda began.

Lee interrupted her, "Amanda? Billy, how could anyone possibly know that she's an agent?"

"Somehow this man does. She is expected to fly out to Los Angeles this afternoon. Apparently a first class ticket is already waiting for her at the airport," Billy paused and turned his attention to Lee.

Francine sat back fuming. 'Why does this housewife always get to go out on the field assignments with Lee? Sure, she has had some formal training, but I'm way more qualified than her.' Francine thought to herself, observing Amanda's nerve-racking enthusiasm.

"He may have asked for just Amanda, but I am sending you with her, Scarecrow. You two make a good team, and I won't have one of my agents going on any case without back-up," Billy stated matter-of-factly.

Billy watched the expression on Lee's face and knew what his next words would be. Before Lee could protest that Amanda shouldn't be going at all he added, "The President is asking for our full co-operation on this assignment." Then turning his attention towards Francine, "and I am not about to go against the President."

"Sir, what information can you give us about this man? What I mean is, do we have a name or anything?" Amanda asked nervously, as she fidgeted with her necklace. To her, Los Angeles could mean only one thing. She had thought she had put all this behind her fifteen years ago. The mention of California began to dredge up some old memories she would rather leave in the past.

"Here are the facts of the case," Billy said, handing Amanda a folder. "Well as much as we know."

Amanda opened the folder and swallowed. Her gut feeling was confirmed. She only half listened, as Billy started explaining what was in the folder.

"It appears that this man, a Mr. Charles Townsend, used to run a detective agency. It was fully disbanded a few years back, but he apparently keeps tabs on most of his detectives."

Lee had gotten up and was now leaning down next to Amanda's chair. His arm had gone around the back of her chair and was barely touching her shoulders. He felt Amanda's body tense as she read the file. As he glanced up at her, Francine began to protest.

"If they were part of a detective agency, why do the want the Agency's help?" Francine asked. "I mean, its not like it's a matter of national security or anything."

"Francine, I really don't know. But as I said, I am not going against the President's wishes," Billy said, as he gave Francine the 'can-it-look'. "Amanda, do you have any idea who this man is, and why he asked for you?"

Lee looked at Amanda curiously. She had become quiet and he could tell her mind was somewhere other than in the file Billy had handed her.

Amanda jolted back to the present at the sound of her name. "Hmm…what? Sir? Oh I'm sorry, I was busy reading the file," she stated, not wanting to make eye contact with her boss or for that matter, anyone else in the room.

"I asked if you had any idea who this man is and why he asked for you?" Billy repeated his question, as he tried to make eye contact with Amanda.

"Do I have any idea who this man is? Why would I know why he asked for me?" Amanda restated his question. It was bad enough she had lied to her mother for the past three years, but now she was faced with the fact that she may have to hide her past from her boss.

Whereas before Lee had been curious, he was now growing worried." Amanda _only _answered a question with a question when she was hiding something.

"Well." Realizing that no further progress was going to be made, Billy decided to conclude the conversation, "it appears that your flight is at 3 o'clock this afternoon, so you might want to go start packing."

Billy looked from Lee to Amanda and noticed that Amanda had her eyes focused on the report in her hand. Her strange reaction to the contents of the file, and the fact that he knew nothing at all about this case, made him totally uncomfortable with sending them out to Los Angeles. "According to Mr. Townsend, there will be someone at the airport to greet you and take you to your destination."

"Yes Sir," Amanda replied quietly as she stood and began to leave the room. She was just almost at the door when Francine made her final protest.

"Billy, are you sure that you don't need me to tag along with them? Just in case they need extra backup." Francine gave Billy a pleading look.

"We'll be fine, Francine," Lee mumbled as he joined Amanda at the door. Lee felt anxiety creep into his veins by the look of indifference Amanda now wore on her face. Francine's comments usually flustered Amanda, but now it was almost as if she hadn't heard a word Francine had said.

Amanda shook her head and went out the door. Lee looked at Billy and shrugged his shoulders and quickly followed Amanda.

"I expect an update when you get to Los Angeles!" Billy called after them.

**********

"Alright, out with it. What's bothering you, Amanda?" Lee asked, as they rode up the elevator. "You know more than you were telling Billy."

"Now why would you think I know more than I do?" She repeated his question without looking at him. She knew she couldn't fool him. She was just putting off the inevitable.

"Amanda, I know when you are lying…" Lee tried to turn her to look at him, but the elevator had stopped and the doors opened.

Amanda avoided his intense gaze and rushed from the confinement of the elevator. She dashed up the steps, intent on getting her purse and leaving the building before facing the questions she knew Lee was going to ask. Her mind was a jumble of repressed memories. Why now? She had put it all behind her. She had told Charlie she wanted to move on with her life and start a family. She had met Joe and wanted to settle down, or so she had thought. The image of Lee pleading for her help at the train station flashed before her eyes. She smiled softly as she entered the Q-Bureau.

She had just grabbed her purse and was turning to leave, when Lee entered the office and closed the door behind him.

"Amanda King, you are not leaving here, until you give me some answers," he demanded as he advanced towards her. He wasn't about to let her shut him out. She would never let him do that to her.

"You can be so exasperating sometimes. Now don't go telling me you don't know what this is all about. I felt you tense up as you were reading that file. Who the Hell is Charles Townsend?" Lee asked, as he placed his hand on her arm.

She knew she had to tell him. What choice did she have? Billy had made it clear that Lee was to go with her, and like it or not, her secrets were going to come out. She put her purse on the couch and sat down.

"I guess there is no way around this. You would find out once we get to L.A. anyway." She looked up at Lee and patted the seat next to her. "Lee, this is very hard for me to admit, but I owe it to you, to tell you this. I thought it was all behind me, but the past always has a way of coming back to haunt you."

Lee's eyebrows furrowed, as he tried to read the expression on her face. 'Amanda King's past haunt her? Secrets? Amanda?' He shook his head, and then took a seat on the couch.

She took his hand in hers and continued, "Lee, before I go on, I want you to know that I care about you. I hope that what I am about to tell you, doesn't change your opinion of me. I have never told anyone about this. Joe doesn't even know about…well, about anything that I am about to tell you," she paused and turned towards Lee so she could look into his eyes.

Lee returned her look, with an inquisitive but reassuring smile. "After high school, I was accepted to California University. While I was out there, I entered the police academy out in Los Angeles. I actually started it as a side job to help pay for college. Then one day a man named Charles Townsend recruited me as well as two other women to work for his detective agency. We went undercover to help people who were in tight spots. The agency was called Townsend Investigations, but Charlie always referred to us as his 'Angels'."

Lee looked at her in astonishment as he tried to digest the words she had just spoken. Amanda King, the person sitting next to him, who hated guns and used lamps to knock out bad guys, had once been an undercover detective. It just didn't fit, or maybe it did. She had always had good instincts and knew more about the business than the average new recruit.

Amanda noticed the look of shock on Lee's face. She knew what he was thinking. She wanted to explain why she had never told him. "Lee, three years after I started working for Charlie, I met Joe, and well, I wanted to start a family. I told Charlie I was leaving, and that I wanted to start fresh. He understood, so he wiped any information surrounding my association with him away. I figured, with all the enemies I had made during that time, it probably wasn't a good idea to keep that identity around. I tried to put all the memories behind me. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, but I felt that if I was going to start over, I had to forget everything about those years."

"Amanda, you just can't leave your past behind. You've seen how my past has affected my life." Lee stood and began to pace the floor. "There have to be records of your activities. We did a background check on you when you started and none of this ever showed up." Lee stopped in front of her. 

"When I started working for Charlie, I changed my name. Well, really he did. He created this whole other identity for me, so it wasn't really that hard to make that person disappear. For three years I was Sabrina Duncan. I didn't want my parents to find out about my extra-curricular activities and, besides when working under cover, a secret name always seemed like a good idea. I also had fun pretending to be this whole other person." She smiled to herself at the memory.

"Okay, maybe that explains why we never found any of this in your background check, but how come there wasn't a gap of information?" Lee asked, continuing to stare at her. 

Amanda shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I guess Charlie took care of that. He probably made it look like I was in school or living back here in Virginia already. I really couldn't tell you. We always wondered what type of connections Charlie had. He always knew information before we did and could take care of anything we needed to work on a case successfully."

Still not quite sure what to make of all this, he let the information sink in. He suddenly realized that Amanda had kept this huge secret from him. For some reason, that hurt just a little. "Why didn't you say something earlier? After all that we've been through together, didn't you think you could trust me?" he spoke in a quiet, hurt tone.

"Oh, Lee, don't feel that way," she said, looking down at her hands. "I told you I put it all behind me, and started fresh. I forced myself to forget. I didn't even think about it the day you handed me the package at the train station. Well, not really. I thought I was content with the path my life was on. I was a housewife with two great kids and I was in a comfortable relationship. After I had helped you catch Mrs. Welch, I realized how much I missed the adventures I used to have. And now, you have done more than give me back the adventures, you have given me..." She looked up at him again and caressed his face with her hand, "You have given me so much more." Lee smiled at her touch. 

"Lee, promise me you won't say anything to Billy. I know I'll have to come clean eventually. Right now," she stopped and looked at her watch, "I think we need to get moving. I can't imagine what is so important for Charlie to drag me back in." She started to get up.

Lee rose with her and took her in his arms. "It'll be all right, I'll be with you," he whispered into her ear. 

They broke apart and left the office in silence.

As they reached her car, Lee turned to her. "Amanda, I know that there is a lot more to all of this. I'm not going to push you right now, but I think we do need to talk some more when we get to California. I'll pick you up at your house in a couple of hours and then we can head to the airport together." Looking around to make sure no one was around he placed a kiss on her lips. 

Breaking apart she nodded. "Thank you. I love you, you know."  
  
"I love you too," he replied as turned towards his own car. 

She let out a sigh, 'The flight to California is going to be very long ride,' she thought as she got into her car and headed home to pack.

***Chapter 2***

As Amanda started packing her suitcase, thoughts of the boys being without her for so long troubled her. She knew her mother wouldn't mind looking after the boys, but it wasn't fair to always ask her to give up her free time. She picked up the phone and called Joe. To her surprise, he was more than pleased with the idea of spending extra time with the boys. He offered to come and stay with them in her house while she was gone. Joe knew enough about her involvement with the Agency not to ask too many questions. He wasn't thrilled with her new career choice, but he accepted it as part of her new life without him.

After she hung up with Joe, she finished packing and headed downstairs. She left the suitcase by the front door and went into the den to talk to her mother.

"Mother, I have to leave in a few minutes. I wanted you to know that I invited Joe to stay here and spend some time with the boys while I'm gone. I hope that's alright with you."

"You know Joe is welcome anytime."

"Thank you, Mother. Please give the boys my love and let them know that I'll call as soon as I can."

"Amanda dear, how long will you be gone?" Dotty asked

"I really don't know. It depends on how many locations we can find for this documentary. If we find one we like right away, I could be home before the end of the week. If not, it may be mid-next week," Amanda quickly told her mother. Over the last few years, it had become easier to make up stories about her whereabouts, just not easier to actually say them.

"Dear, can't you even stay to say bye to the boys?" Dotty asked, not liking her daughter's constant picking up and leaving at the drop of a hat.

"Mother, I wish I could. I really do, but my flight is at 3 o'clock and Lee will be here to pick me up shortly. I wish I was given more notice, but I wasn't." She shrugged her shoulders and sat on the couch next to her mother.

"You know darling, I really don't know if I like this job at IFF. Don't they realize you have a family?" Her mother just loved pressing this issue.

"Yes, Mother, they do. But you know what, I love my job and I'm good at what I do." She really did not want to have this argument with her mother again, and not now. She had way too much on her mind.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. "That will be Lee. I love you, Mother. I'll call when I get to California." With that, Amanda hugged her mother and almost ran to the door.

**********

Lee stole glances at Amanda as he drove them to the airport. Amanda was looking out at the passing buildings with distant eyes. She was a hundred miles away deep in thought and had said very little since he had picked her up.

Lee sighed as he tried to process the fact that Amanda had had another life, a life of mystery and intrigue, long before he met her. He reviewed the past three years since she had entered his life. He thought about how, at first, Amanda's ways of getting herself out of situations that were hardly typical really annoyed him. Still, her ways always did prove effective. This past year she had become a more efficient agent, but still did things the 'Amanda way'. It just didn't seem to fit the woman that sat beside him to have a secret past, but then again, she always was full of surprises. He shook his head and chuckled at the image of Amanda King the detective.

Amanda continued to stare out the window, sorting through the memories of her distant past so many years ago. Doubt washed over her as she thought about all the wild and reckless things that she had done so many years ago. Would she still be able to do all those things? Gosh, could she still drive a racecar, or to be more exact, could she turn herself back into the glamorous 'Angel'? The robust sound of Lee's chuckle brought her out of her thoughts and she turned to see him watching her with laughter in his eyes.

"What's so amusing?" she asked.

"Oh nothing really. I was actually just remembering you on some of our earlier cases together. The way you had of getting into trouble and how you always managed to help me get us out of it. And to think you might have had some earlier training to get out of those situations differently." A warm smile glinted over his features, as he quickly glanced over at Amanda and then turned his attention back to the road.

Amanda playfully smacked him. "Ha, ha, very funny Stetson. You know, there are a lot of things you'd be surprised I could do," she laughed and then drifted back into her reverie of the past.

After parking the car in extended parking and taking the shuttle to the terminal, they went to the ticket window to collect their tickets.

"I have a ticket waiting for me, Sabrina Duncan," Amanda told the attendant.

"I'll need to see some ID please," the attendant stated as a matter of protocol, and then, noticing something on the ticket, "oh never mind, it appears you're already cleared."

Amanda sighed in relief. She knew she didn't have any ID that would verify who she said she was. Taking the ticket from the attendant she looked inside the ticket envelope, and sure enough, there was her Sabrina Duncan's California driver's license tucked inside. She took it out and put it into her wallet.

Lee was with the attendant next to her and heard the exchange. He began to wonder just how powerful this Townsend man was. 'What have we gotten ourselves into?' he wondered as he was given his first class ticket.

As they walked towards the terminal he asked, "What was that all about? She didn't need to see your identification?"

"Actually, she did. But I didn't have to show it to her, the ID was already with the ticket," she replied with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

The plane ride was almost as quiet as the car ride to the airport. The only difference was that they had a movie to occupy the time. As the movie played, Amanda closed her eyes and relaxed. She continued to think about all the past cases she had been on with Kelly Garrett, Jill and Kris Monroe and Bosley. Good old Bos. She took Lee's hand in hers, and he gave her hand the familiar squeeze, letting her know everything was going to be ok.

As the Captain announced their descent into LAX, she suddenly began to wonder who was going to meet them at the airport. She hadn't really thought about Billy's words until now. Her emotions churned with nervousness and excitement all at once. As if he sensed her anxiety, Lee put an arm around her shoulder to give her a hug. Relaxing she placed her head against his chest.

Once the plane landed, they gathered their carry-on luggage and walked down the aisle. When they had entered the airport, Amanda started scanning the crowd for a familiar face. 

"Sabrina!" Amanda turned her head towards the familiar voices of Kelly and Jill. She glanced up at Lee briefly before she released his hand, and ran to meet her friends from the past.

"Kelly, Jill…as I live and breath! I had no idea who Charlie was sending!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Bri, it's so great to see you!" Jill and Kelly said in chorus, as they rushed to greet Amanda.

The three women embraced each other, as if their friendship had not ended over ten years ago. As they released from their group hug, they all stepped back and gave each other a chance to really look at each other.

"Kelly, you haven't changed a bit. And, Jill you look absolutely radiant. How's Kris? Where is Bos? Do you know what is going on?" Amanda asked, all in one breath.

"Still the same old Bri, how do you manage to get all that out without stopping for air?" Kelly asked, with a large smile on her face.

"And you look absolutely stunning yourself. I guess the years have been good to you too," Jill replied. "Kris is fine, she's actually waiting for us in the old office."

Lee stood back watching the scene. He suddenly felt like an outsider. 'How many times have I put Amanda in this same situation?' He shook his head and made a mental note to make a few changes when they got home. He had a feeling that he would indeed be the outsider in this case. He would just have to get used to that over the next couple of days.

As if hearing his thoughts, Amanda turned to look in Lee's direction. She motioned for him to join them. He took a deep breath and headed for the group of women. 

"Jill Monroe, Kelly Garrett, I would like to introduce you to my partner, Lee Stetson."

Jill and Kelly looked over at Lee's tall form and then back to Amanda. 

"Charlie said you'd be bringing someone with you, he just didn't happen to mention what a hunk he was," Jill said, as she winked at Amanda.

Lee walked behind Amanda and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's very nice to meet you two lovely ladies. I must say though, I haven't heard anything about you. Must be that A…Sabrina was afraid I'd decide to move out here and give up my current partner," Lee chuckled, as he lightly squeezed Amanda's shoulders. 

Amanda didn't find the humor in that and gave him a punch in the ribs with her elbow. She turned her head to look in his laughing eyes and grabbed his hand in hers.

Jill and Kelly let out a very silvery set of laughs.

"Bri, you said 'partner'. What exactly have you gotten yourself into?" Kelly inquired. "Charlie said something about you working for the government, but he didn't get specific."

Amanda felt like she was back in old times already. "Believe it or not, I'm working in counter intelligence, as a civilian. I leave Charlie's and wound up becoming involved in the world of espionage!" she exclaimed as she joined their laughter.

Lee shot her a look that pretty much said it all, "Ah…Sabrina, don't you think…"

But Amanda cut him off before he could go any further, "Lee, relax. It's not like Charlie isn't aware and probably would have told them if I hadn't".

Kelly noticed the obvious connection between Sabrina and Lee. "We probably should go down to baggage and then head on over to the office."

"Yeah, if I know Charlie, he won't want us delaying," Amanda stated, and then remembering that they were here with a specific agenda, "so why did Charlie contact us, and who all did he gather?"

"Well, we can't give you the specifics yet, as there are way too many ears in the airport, but other than Kris, it's just us three. The original 'Angels'," Jill explained.

**********

They gathered the suitcases and headed out to the parking lot. All the while, the women chatted about this and that as Lee listened in. He was amused at the giddiness of the three women and how at ease they were with each other. One would hardly believe that they hadn't seen each other in over fifteen years. He slowed his steps and fell back a short distance staring at this Amanda.

His thoughts drifted to the Amanda King he had met at the train station. It was clear that that Amanda no longer existed. Back then she had been insecure and nervous about herself. She always seemed uncertain of what her actions would cause and how people viewed her. The woman who walked in front of him today was more confident and radiant. She was more the leader, instead of a passive stand by the side type of person. As he watched her, he noticed how truly at ease she was with herself and her friends.

He began to wonder what had happened in Amanda's past to change her to the woman who entered his life so abruptly, three years ago.

Falling back to walk with Lee, Jill took his arm and said, "You know, I could tell you stories about our Bri."

"Jill, I don't think Lee needs any education about my past. He has his secrets and I have mine." Smiling she joined them and took Lee's free hand in hers. Lee just winked at her, as he took full advantage of this possessive side of Amanda.

When they got to Jill's car, Kelly climbed into the front passenger seat, letting Lee and Amanda share the back.

"Ok, can you guys spill the beans now? Please!" Amanda begged as they pulled out of the parking garage.

"Bri, I don't know how to tell you this, but it's Bosley who's missing," Kelly said, as she turned in her seat to look at Amanda.

Amanda just stared back at Kelly and said, "Bosley? Bos is missing?"

"Well not missing, he's been kidnapped," Jill corrected.

"Kidnapped? But why?" Amanda asked, tearing up a little at the memory of Bosley. Lee reached over and took her hand in his.

"We don't know any more than that. That's all Charlie told me when he called and asked me to come back to L.A.," Jill said.

"That's right, I forgot you were on the racing circuit. I read about your last win. Congratulations," Amanda said, with just a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Bri, don't worry. We'll get Bosley out of this. Charlie wouldn't have gathered us if he didn't have faith in us." Kelly tried to reassure her friend.

Lee still couldn't get used to this other name of Amanda's. It was going to be rough trying to remember to call her Sabrina. "Um, excuse me. Not to change the subject, but you're not the same Jill Monroe who raced in the Indy 500, are you?"

"One and the same," Jill jumped in. "So, Mr. Stetson, tell us about yourself, its apparent Bri isn't going to share any information."

"Please, call me Lee. And honestly there isn't much to tell. A…Sabrina and I work together for the Agency in D.C. Well, to be honest up until about three years ago, I spent most of my time as a loner."

"Oh, what happened three years ago?" Jill asked.

"Yes, Lee, what did happen three years ago?" Amanda asked, raising a teasing set of eyebrows at him.

"Well, you see this woman appeared at a train station, agreed to help me give a package to the man in the red hat and when she held onto the package, my life was forever changed." Lee flashed a grin at Amanda.

"My, my, Bri, you sure know how to pick 'em," Jill jibed.

"Yeah, I do." Amanda smiled at Lee.

Kelly observed this exchange, and noticed once more how well these two fit together. There was something new and vibrant about this Sabrina. She had a feeling that the man sitting beside her had had a big hand in it.

"So, what's new with you, Bri?" Kelly asked, turning the conversation over to her friend.

"Well, shortly after I left, I got married and then divorced, but not before I had two wonderful boys," she stated with pride, then if remembering something, "Jill, do you mind if I borrow your car phone. I really should call home and say goodnight to the boys and let my Mother know I made it ok."

"Sure, Bri, here," Jill said, as Kelly handed her the phone.

Amanda dialed her home number. "Hello, Mother, it's me. I just called to let you know we landed safely. No, I don't know where we'll be staying yet. I'll call you from the hotel and let you know the number. Yes, Mother, I'll take some shots of Hollywood for you, if I have time. Are the boys there?" She decided to change the subject. She wasn't in the mood to answer her mother's usual twenty questions.

"Well, tell them I love them and I'll try calling them tomorrow. Bye, Mother." Amanda started to hand the phone back to Kelly, but then realized that Lee probably wanted to check in with Billy.

She looked over at Lee, but he shook his head, "I'll call him once we find out all the facts."

Lee sat back and listened as the three women reminisced about Bosley. Before he knew it, they had arrived at the old Townsend office.

**********

They entered the Townsend office, and before anyone noticed Kris on the couch, a wave of nostalgia crossed over them all. Lee took in the room - there was a fully stocked bar to his left. A living room set up in the middle and over to one wall, a lone desk with a speakerphone, and a projector screen behind it.

"This place hasn't change a bit!" Amanda declared.

At that, the blonde came over from her seat on the couch stating excitedly, "Sabrina Duncan, you made it after all."

"Kris, oh, it's so wonderful to see you!" Amanda beamed, as the two hugged each other.

"Do you two mind moving just a little, so the rest of us can enter?" Jill asked, trying to get by them.

"Well excuse me, Sis," Kris bantered back at Jill. As she did, she noticed Lee standing behind Kelly. "And you must be…," she paused waiting for an introduction.

"Kris, Lee Stetson. Lee, this is Kris Monroe," Amanda introduced her two friends.

Taking her hand, Lee replied, "Nice to meet you. Sabrina, you really should have warned me about the company we'd be in." He winked at Amanda and flashed her his famous Stetson smile.

"Yeah, well I am beginning to think I should have insisted Billy keep you in D.C.," Amanda joked, smiling back at him. She trusted her old friends and knew that she had nothing to worry about where Lee was concerned. 

"Well, Angels, it's nice to hear all your voices again," a male voice boomed through the room.

"Hi Charlie!" All four women chimed in unison, snapping back to the task at hand and turning their attentions to the desk.

Lee began to look around the room for the man whom had just spoken.

Amanda took Lee's hand and led him over to the couch. Whispering, she explained to him, "I totally forgot to mention to you that none of us have ever actually seen Charlie. Bos was always our face-to-face liaison. Charlie only communicates with us via the telephone," she finished, pointing to the speaker on the desk.

"Angels and Mr. Stetson, it appears Bosley is our case this time."

"Charlie, do we know anything about his kidnappers?" Kris asked, taking a seat on the edge of the desk.

Sitting on the arm of the couch next to Lee, Amanda put in, "Are there any ransom demands?"

"How long ago was he kidnapped?" Jill asked, from her position at the bar.

Kelly walked over to the chair across from Lee and Amanda. "How do we all fit into this, Charlie?"

"Angels, please settle down. I can only answer one question at a time. I promise, you'll get your answers," Charlie replied. "Two days ago Bosley was supposed to meet me at my place. However, he never showed up. As you Angels know, Bosley has always been punctual. When he didn't show, I began to get worried."

All four of the women nodded, as if the man on the other end of the speakerphone could see them.

"I started making inquiries, but stopped when I got a call from Bosley's brother. It turns out that Donald is in debt to some hard-hitting bookies. Don approached me as soon as he got wind of his brother's kidnapping."

"Bosley has a brother?" Jill asked, as she looked at the other three women.

"Yes, but apparently they weren't very close," Amanda explained. "Bosley never talked about him much, and believe me, no matter how hard I tried to get Bos to open up, he just wouldn't."

Lee looked over at Amanda and smiled. He knew from first hand experience how the woman beside him never gave up. 

Just then, Kris jumped up from her seat to answer a knock at the door. Opening it, a man of about fifty was standing on the other side, awaiting entry. Kris looked closer at this man's features. He looked just like their Bosley.

"May we help you?" She asked.

"Yes, I was told to meet some detectives here. Charlie said you'd help me get my brother back."

"Please come in."

Kris led him over to the others. "Guys, this, I presume, is Donald Bosley."

The other three women just turned and stared. He looked so much like his brother it was uncanny.

Lee looked around and decided to break the silence. Making eye contact he motioned for the man to take a seat, "Mr. Bosley, why don't you come in and give us some more information on the situation."

"Please, call me Don," the man replied, as he took a seat on the couch next to Lee. "I don't know how much you know yet, but I owe the Peterson brothers a lot of money. They run an underground gambling operation outside of Monterey and when I told them I couldn't pay up, they threatened to kill me. So I ran."

"And, let me guess, they followed you here?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah, I came here to see if John, my brother, would help me. I knew he knew some wealthy people and well I figured, if he could loan me the money, I'd be off the hook." Don fidgeted, as he realized all eyes were on him.

Jill poured the man a glass of water and took it over to him. "Let me guess, Bosley told you he wasn't about to ask his friends for money, nor did he have the kind of cash you needed, right?"

Nodding, Don continued, "He told me I could stay with him, but that he wasn't going to give me the money. He said he'd ask around to see if there was anything he could do. He left to run some errands, and I haven't seen him since."

"So how did you know he was kidnapped by the Peterson brothers?" Kelly inquired.

"Well, I decided to check my answering machine at home and there was a message from Bryant, the older brother. He told me that they had grabbed my brother, thinking it was me, but realized that this was better leverage to make sure they got their money," Don explained, as he looked at Kelly.

Charlie's voice filled the room again, "It appears that the Peterson brothers have a heavy bet going on the Laguna Seca 200 coming up this Friday."

Jill's face lit up, "Charlie, that's the race I am already entered in."

"Exactly, Angel," Charlie added. "On the desk you will find your assignments. It seems that in order to free Bosley, we have to ensure the outcome of the race."

Kris picked up the assignments and began passing them out.

Amanda was about to protest her assignment when Charlie broke the silence, "Now Jill, I have faith that you'll win the race, but to prove to Bryant your true skill, Sabrina will be racing against you. Sabrina, I want you to make Bryant think there is true competition for the win."

"Charlie," Amanda took this opportunity to voice her concerns, "I haven't been in a race since I stopped working for you. I don't know if I can live up to your expectations."

Lee was watching this exchange with extreme concern. Amanda King, who just two years ago couldn't figure out the clutch in his Porsche, was going to participate in a Formula One race. "Mr. Townsend, I don't think that it's such a good idea to have Sabrina in that race. It's way too dangerous," Lee said, placing his hand on Amanda's leg.

"Bri will do just fine, Lee. She was one of the best and I know she'll fit right back in. It's just like riding a bicycle," Jill said, as she walked over and put a comforting arm around Amanda.

Amanda placed her hand over Lee's and gave it a tight squeeze. She saw the worry in his eyes and knew that this subject was far from closed. 

"Charlie, I'll just do the best I can," Amanda turned her attention back to the speaker- phone.

"I'm sure you will, Angel," Charlie replied, and then continued his explanations. "Kris, you will be a reporter for _The_ _Auto Weekly_ doing a story on women drivers in Formula One racing. Kelly, you are going to be Kelly Garrison, daughter of Peter Garrison…"

"The Governor?" Lee asked, interrupting Charlie. "I'm sure I'll regret asking this, but isn't that one a bit hard to pull off?"

"Well, Lee, it would be, but the Governor's daughter has been overseas living with relatives for the last five years. Kelly fits her description quite well. The Governor has spent the past few years cracking down on gambling in the state. The reason his daughter is overseas is that she had fallen in with some pretty shady characters. Kelly here, will be back for a visit, and will pick up where the real Kelly Garrison left off. She will be putting a heavy wager on this race. Which brings me to your assignment, Lee. You will be Kelly's bodyguard." 

Amanda turned to look at Lee. She knew he wouldn't be happy that he wasn't going to be working closer to her on this case. 

"Now, all the drivers are staying at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey," Charlie continued. "Jill, Kris and Sabrina, I've booked you rooms on the same floor. You are expected to check in tomorrow. Kelly and Lee, I have arranged for you to stay at the Governor's mansion. Good luck, Angels."

"Thanks Charlie," the four women said in lieu of a goodbye. With that the voice was gone.

"Well, let's get going," Kris jumped up from the desk. "Jill, you can stay with me tonight."

"Bri, you and Lee can stay with me," Kelly added.

"Um, excuse me, but that Mr. Charlie, he never told me what I was supposed to do," Don Bosley said, as they had all headed towards the door.

"Oh! That's right," Amanda remarked to the others and then looked over at Don. "What are we going to do with you?"

"We can't let him stay here. We need to be able to keep an eye on him," Kelly added.

"Don, do you know anything about cars?" Jill asked.

"A little, why?"

"Well, you're going to be on my pit crew. We'll keep your face covered in grease and a wrench in your hand. They won't be able to recognize you after we're through." Jill fell back from the group and put her hand on his arm.

"Come on, you can stay with us," Kris put in, as she linked her arm through his and led him out of the office.

Amanda followed right behind. "Jill, I think I had better ride to Monterey with you. I think I need to find out just how much racing has changed over the years."

"Relax, Bri. It really hasn't changed all that much. You'll do just fine." Jill stopped and put her free arm around Amanda's shoulders.

"I hope you ladies know what you're getting into," Lee said, as has he followed the others out the door.

"If memory serves me correctly, we never knew what we were getting into. Somehow we always managed to find more trouble than when we started," Kelly laughed.

Lee laughed with her, as he suddenly realized that Amanda's life with him wasn't all that different from her past life as one of 'Charlie's Angels'. Well, whether he liked it or not, he was going to have to go along with their plan. Besides, even if Amanda had her friends, she would still need her partner. 

***Chapter 3***

The ride to Kelly's apartment was filled with more reminiscing. Lee watched Amanda's face light up with each new story that was told. He was finding out that Amanda's past was as full of adventure and mystery as his own. 

"Well, we're here! Let's go get settled." Kelly opened up her door and started towards her apartment.

"Lee, I'm glad you're here," Amanda said, as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Me too." Lee held out his hand for her and they followed Kelly inside.

"I know this place is kind of small, but I think we can manage for one night. You two take the bedroom to the left of the living room. I'll be at the end of the hall." Kelly pointed down the corridor.

Amanda blushed at her friend's assumption. 

"I'll take the couch, if you don't mind," Lee said, as he noticed Amanda's reaction.

"Oh, alright. Let me get you some blankets," Kelly replied with a shrug.

Amanda gave Lee's hand a little squeeze of thanks. 

He warmly smiled back at Amanda. "I had better call Billy and check in."

"I think I'll go take a shower and change for the night," Amanda said, turning to leave him to make his call.

"Here you go, Lee. I am sorry about the assumption, but I just thought…well, I guess I should know Bri better than that. I'm going to head on to bed. Tell Bri I'll see her early in the morning." Kelly winked at Lee and placed his blankets on the couch.

"Goodnight, Kelly." Lee watched her return to her bedroom.

Lee decided to use the phone on the spare bedroom nightstand, instead of the one in the living room. 

"Scarecrow here. Billy Melrose, please," Lee asked the receptionist.

"Hello? Melrose here."

"Hey, Billy. We made it."

"Great! Now can you tell me what in the Dickens is going on?"

"Well, it turns out we are in the middle of a kidnapping. I need you to get some information on a couple of brothers named Peterson, Bryant and Richard Peterson."

"Have you been able to figure out why Amanda was specifically asked for this assignment?" Billy asked.

"I don't have an answer for you there, Billy. However, you need to watch the qualifying race for the Leguna Seca 200 tomorrow at 5 o'clock on ESPN. It should be really interesting."

"What?"

"Watch the race at 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

"I heard what you said. I just don't understand. What has that got to do with anything?"

"You'll see, Billy," Lee gruffly laughed. 

"I expect a report from you tomorrow, Scarecrow," Billy demanded.

"Will do! Oh, by the way, I'll be staying at the Governor's mansion. I am supposed to be his daughter's bodyguard. Well, she's not really his daughter. She is one of Mr. Townsend's associates. It's all part of our cover."

"You're beginning to sound like Amanda," Billy chuckled at Lee's rambling. "I don't know if that is a good thing or not."

Trying to ignore his boss's remark, Lee decided it was time to end the conversation. "I promise we'll check in tomorrow. You can contact me at Governor's mansion if you come up with anything. Goodnight, Billy."

"Okay, goodnight."

Amanda finished her shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She rummaged through her overnight bag for her lotion and opened the bathroom door to allow the steam to exit. She began her ritual of rubbing the lotion into her skin, unaware of Lee's presence.

Lee had just finished hanging up the phone, and was going to head out of the room to give Amanda her privacy when he heard the turn of the handle. He quietly leaned his body against the back of the bed to get a better view of this beautiful woman. He watched her massage her damp skin with the lotion. She traced every part of her exposed body with the smooth cream. Lee knew Amanda would be embarrassed if she found out he had been watching and decided he should let his presence be known. As he got up to walk behind her, she started to loosen the front of her towel to smooth the cream on her upper body. Lee almost hesitated, wanting to see all of Amanda, but decided that might not go over too well.

He crept up behind her and placed his hand over her mouth covering the scream he knew would come, and turned her to face him. "Amanda, it's me."

Amanda dropped her towel with the surprise of his touch. Lee could feel her firm breasts pressed against his chest. He allowed his hands to trail down the softness of her bare back. Amanda locked her eyes with his and remained silent. He could feel her body trembling beneath his touch. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his own. She parted her lips, wanting to taste all of him and he readily accepted. Their kisses deepened, as he leaned her against the bathroom wall. The soft moan that escaped her throat made Lee realize how quickly his own body was betraying him. He longed to take her to the bed and make love to her, but not this way. He wanted to make the first time they made love together special for Amanda. 

"Amanda, we shouldn't do this yet," he said breathlessly, as he smiled into her eyes and released her. He turned his back to her to allow her to retrieve her towel.

"Lee, I'm decent now," she said quietly, having put on her nightgown instead of the towel.

Lee turned to face her. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I didn't mean to startle you."

"That's alright Lee, habit right?" she said, giving him a shy smile as she walked to the bed.

"Yeah," Lee replied sheepishly, as he walked to the bed to join her.

"What are you doing in here?" Amanda asked, absently playing with his fingers.

Never taking his eyes from hers, he explained, "I needed to call Billy, and I thought it might be more private in here than in the living room. I really didn't mean to startle you."

"I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me. It's not like me to…" Amanda said, lowering her eyes away from his gaze.

"Don't be." Lee placed his hand on her chin to bring her eyes to look into his.

"Lee, I…" Silencing her with a finger to her lips, Lee lowered his head to gingerly kiss her again.

Reluctantly they pulled apart. "Amanda, I want this to be special between us. When it happens...and it will happen, it will be when we're both ready." Lee tried to reassure her when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Lee I…Thank you." Amanda started to run her fingers through his hair. 

Lee touched his lips to hers briefly. Amanda allowed her hands to gently caress his neck and shoulders before breaking the contact between their bodies. Lee was quite relieved that the uncertainty he had seen in her eyes a moment ago had now been replaced by a yearning passion. 

"Goodnight, and sweet dreams." Lee stood to leave before he changed his mind. He wanted so much to take her in his arms one more time, but he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to be true to his words.

"You too, Lee."

"I'm sure I will," Lee said with a devilish grin, as he went to the living room.

Lee settled himself on the couch after finding the remote. His mind wandered back to the image of the Amanda pressed against his body. The way her bare skin had felt like soft silk to his fingertips. He shifted on the couch as his body began to awaken with the images. He decided he needed less confining clothes, and dug in his bag for a pair of shorts. He quickly changed and forced his mind to focus on what was on television. It didn't take him long to fall asleep with visions of Amanda drifting through his thoughts.

A few hours a later Lee awoke from his fitful sleep to the sounds of gunshots and immediately rolled from the couch and grabbed his gun from the coffee table. As he looked around the room, he was relieved to find out it was only the television. He lay his gun back on the table and once again tried to make himself comfortable on the couch. He brought his hands to his face trying to rub out the tension from his body. He decided that if he wanted to go back to sleep he would need a drink to help him relax.

As he rose to try and locate Kelly's liquor cabinet, he heard muffled cries from Amanda's room.

He quickly changed direction and went into the guestroom. "Amanda, wake up. It's me, Lee," he said, as he sat beside her on the bed.

"He can't be dead. It's only a race. No it should've been me!" Amanda cried, as she tried to free herself from Lee's embrace.

Lee gently cradled her in his strong arms. "Amanda, wake up. You're having a bad dream."

Amanda opened her eyes to find Lee's concerned face inches from her own. "Oh my gosh, Lee. I haven't dreamed about that in over three years." She buried her head in his bare chest.

"Dreamed about what?" Lee asked, stroking her hair.

"My last race, before I left Charlie's. It ended in a terrible accident."

"Want to talk about it?" Lee asked, as he continued to stroke her hair and back.

Amanda turned to look at him. She needed to tell him, to confide the truth to him. It might help her face her fears and then maybe she would be able to perform better in the race tomorrow. 

She took a deep breath and began. "We were only five laps from the end of the race. I had led the race for the last 120 laps. Nick Sporelli, another competitor, came up behind me using my draft to increase his speed. As we approached the third turn, he clipped me causing me to tailspin. I tried to control it, but I couldn't. I spun out and slammed into Paul Nadeau's car. The impact of my car threw his car into the wall. I was able to pull myself from my car, but he wasn't able to pull free from his. His car was pinned to the wall by mine." Amanda breathed deeply, as she tried to control the tears that began to flow down her face.

"Amanda, you don't have to…"

"Lee, I need to tell you all of it," Amanda interrupted him placing a finger to his lips. "As I got closer to him, I saw the horror in his eyes before his car exploded. The explosion threw me back into the line of cars. They had slowed due to the caution, but I was hit. I don't remember anything after that. Besides a broken leg, a few broken ribs and a broken wrist, I had a head injury. The impact of my fall put me in a coma for two weeks. It should've been me that died. I should've been able to control my car better. If I had he might still..."

"Amanda, you can't blame yourself for the accident. It's a risk every driver takes. It's just like the risk we take every day. You know what can happen and you just have to accept it." Lee tilted her head up to look in her eyes.

"I know, Lee. It's just that I feel responsible."

They held each other silently while Lee processed the information Amanda had just told him.

"Oh God, Amanda. That explains why you didn't want to drive my car at first. It explains a lot of things," he said, as he pulled her closer. 'She blamed herself for the accident. This had been what caused her to lose her self-confidence.' Lee thought as he rocked her in his arms. The reasons why her life had gotten so complicated were starting to piece together.

"Lee, it's just that every time I got behind the wheel of your car the image of Paul's eyes came back to me. I couldn't make myself do it back then."

" You drive my car now," Lee commented, pulling her back to look into her eyes again.

"Because you needed me too. You helped me overcome a lot of my fears by just being there," Amanda whispered, as she gently stroked his cheek with her hand.

"I guess that does explain how you were able to learn to drive a stick so fast." Lee tenderly swept the hair from her shoulder. "Amanda, there is still so much about you that I don't know."

"I'm sorry, Lee. I never meant to lie to you." Another tear fell down her cheek.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't lie to me. I've never asked you about your past." Lee wiped the stray tear from her cheek and claimed her lips with his. Gently, he pulled away from her and whispered, "I think we should get some sleep, before we head out tomorrow."

"Lee…"

"Hmm…"

"Would you stay with me for the rest of the night?" Amanda asked as she rubbed her hand over his chest.

"Amanda, I'm not sure…"

She pulled back the covers for him to join her, "Please?"

Lee sighed as he joined her in bed. He pulled her small body to him and she rested her head on his chest.

"Goodnight, Amanda."

"Goodnight, Lee."

Lee closed his eyes and waited to hear her even breathing before he drifted off as well.

Lee awoke to the smell of fresh coffee brewing. He looked at the woman he possessively held in his arms. He moved his hand from her side and brushed her stray bangs from her forehead.

"Hmm…Lee," Amanda moaned, as she snuggled closer to his body.

A warm smile crossed his face at the thought of what it would be like to wake every morning with her in his arms.

"Hey you two sleepyheads, time to get up and join the real world," Kelly called from the kitchen.

Amanda opened her eyes at the sound of Kelly's voice. 

"Good morning, Amanda."

Amanda looked up at Lee's mischievous smile. "Good morning, Scarecrow. Sleep well?" she asked, as she gently placed her hand on his chest to move her body up in bed. 

"Very. Did you?" Lee asked, not allowing her to pull completely from his embrace.

"Yes." Amanda blushed as she realized how much she was enjoying their closeness.

"Maybe we should do this more often," Lee teased, as his hands roamed down the side of her body. He bent his head to capture her lips.

Ducking from his intended kiss and squirming out of his embrace, Amanda laughed, "Maybe."

"No fair!" Lee called, as she quickly got out of bed.

"Who told you life was fair, Scarecrow?" Amanda returned his mischievous smile and quickly left the room.

Lee was beginning to regret some of the things he had told her in the past. He rose from the bed and decided that perhaps a cold shower would help.

Kelly met her in the living room with a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Bri."

"Good morning, Kelly," Amanda said with a beaming smile.

"I see our Mr. Stetson decided the couch wasn't very comfortable. Is he the reason for the big smile?" Kelly teased.

Amanda blushed at her insinuation. "Yes. I mean no. It's not what you think, Kelly."

"Oh really. Then where is he?" Kelly questioned.

"Taking a shower. Don't you hear the water?" Amanda replied, as she focused on her coffee.

"Well…"

"Well, what?" Amanda glanced at her friend.

Kelly raised her eyebrows, "If I were you and I had that waiting for me…" 

"Kelly, we are dating. It's just, well we haven't gotten to that stage yet," Amanda said, waving her hands towards the bedroom.

"I wouldn't let him get away, Sabrina," Kelly laughed, as she went down the hallway to dress for the day.

Amanda smiled at her friend's comment. She had no plans of letting Lee Stetson out of her life. She had waited too long for them to admit they had feelings for one another. As a smile crossed her face, she went into the kitchen to fix him a cup of coffee.

Lee walked behind Amanda and placed his arms around her waist. He was enjoying the intimacy that they could share away from the probing eyes of the agency.

Noticing her pouring cream into a cup of coffee, Lee asked, "Is that for me?" 

"Yes." Amanda turned to face him, still in his embrace.

"I could definitely get used to this," Lee teased, as he leaned down to place a kiss on the end of her nose.

"Hmm..." Amanda tilted her head up so that the intended kiss landed on her lips instead. She raised her arms to caress his bare shoulders, giving Lee the incentive to deepen his kiss.

"Good morning, Lee. Are you two having breakfast?" Kelly joined them in the small kitchen.

Lee smiled warmly at Amanda and released his hold. "Just a snack," he replied, as he turned to leave the kitchen and finish getting ready.

Amanda pointed her finger at Kelly. "Before you say a word, Kelly, it's like I said earlier…" 

"I'm not saying a word. I guess I'll just have to settle for what's in the refrigerator for my morning snack," Kelly laughed.

Amanda began to laugh too, as she made her way back to the bedroom to get dressed for the day ahead.

Lee sat patiently waiting for the two women to join him. He glanced at his watch and was about to call out for them to hurry up when Kelly came into the room.

"You definitely are dressed for the part of a bodyguard." Kelly looked at him in his conservative suit.

As he slid over for Kelly to join him on the couch, Lee laughed, "Not much of a costume is it, especially since I wear this everyday."

"You're not going to wear that, Bri, are you?" Kelly asked when Amanda entered the room.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Amanda asked.

"You look like a business woman. You definitely don't fit the part of a racecar driver," Kelly laughed at the dress slacks and shirt Amanda wore.

Placing her hands on her hips, "I don't have anything like what I used to wear with me," Amanda explained.

"Well lucky for you I just may be able to fix that. Why don't I loan you some of my things? I'm sure we are still about the same size." Kelly was halfway down the hall and headed for her closet, before Amanda could protest.

"Kelly, I'm not sure I would look right wearing your clothes," Amanda said, following her.

"The tighter the better. Right, Lee?" Kelly called from her bedroom.

Lee just shook his head. He had no idea what to expect from these women of Amanda's past.

"Lord, Bri. I can't believe you can still fit in this stuff after having two kids. You are just as sexy today, as you were fifteen years ago," Kelly said, as she took in Amanda's appearance.

Amanda smiled at her reflection in the mirror. It had been a long time since she had considered herself sexy. The cut-off jeans shorts and the red crop top fit her just right. It was just snug enough to accent her figure, without being too tight. 

Feeling just a little unsure of herself Amanda looked at her friend. "This sure doesn't leave much to the imagination, Kelly."

"Well, you definitely fit the part now," Kelly laughed shoving Amanda towards the living room. 

Kelly took this opportunity to pack a few of her things into Sabrina's suitcase. She smiled mischievously, as she picked some of the more revealing clothes. 'I don't think Sabrina will mind too much. I don't think Lee will either,' she whispered to herself, as she closed the lid on the suitcase.

Amanda shrugged her shoulders and walked into the living room. She was greeted by Lee's approving smile. She blushed slightly as she watched him look her up and down.

"I don't think I have ever seen you in such a…"

"Can it, Stetson!" Amanda teased, as she headed for the door.

"I guess we should be heading to the office and meet up with the rest of the gang. We will have to pair off carefully before heading into Monterey. You know, to avoid watchful eyes," Kelly said, as she came out of the bedroom carrying her suitcase and Amanda's.

Lee took Amanda's suitcase from her and followed Amanda out the door with Kelly close behind.

**********

Lee took Amanda's hand, as they walked towards the building. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yeah," Amanda said weakly.

Lee stopped their movement and turned to look in her eyes.

"Yes, Lee. I am as ready as I'm ever going to be." Amanda smiled brightly, trying to reassure him.

"I'm worried about you driving in that race today," Lee said, as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I know, Lee. I'm not real thrilled with the idea either. However, it's something I have to do. If I don't face this now, then I will spend the rest of my life running away from my past," Amanda replied, as she placed her hands on his chest.

"I know, and I understand. I still don't have to like the idea that my part in this is not as your back up. I guess I'll just have to settle for cheering you on from the stands," he said, as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Don't worry too much. I may not have you, but Jill will be out there if I need her."

"We had better get in there before they send the troops out to find us." Lee brushed his lips across her forehead.

"Yeah," Amanda laughed softly.

Lee took her hand in his, as they walked to the front of the building to catch up with Kelly.

"It's about time you three got here!" Kris proclaimed, as she opened the door for them.

Winking at Amanda, Kelly replied, "Well, we had to have a snack before we left home." 

Kris watched the exchange and noticed the blush in Bri's cheeks. She decided she would have to ask Kelly about it later, but right now they had to get on the road to Monterey if they were going to make it in time to check into the hotel before the race.

"I like the change in outfits, Bri," Jill laughed, as she joined them in the office.

"Thanks." Amanda took a seat at the desk.

"Alright, this is how it is going to go. Jill, Bri, and Don go ahead onto the hotel. Lee and Kelly, you head straight to the track. I'll meet you guys there. I want to make a few appearances as an over-eager journalist," Kris explained.

"What about our race uniforms? I'm sure my old one is way outdated," Amanda asked Kris.

"Don't worry about that. I think Charlie has arranged for everything at the hotel. He said something about Bri needing some new attire for this case." Kris winked at Amanda.

"Oh my Gosh!" Amanda said, not daring to look at Lee's face. She could just imagine the grin he was wearing.

"What about me?" Don asked. He was just a little confused by all of this.

"Don, you have a room waiting for you as well. Just tag along and follow our lead,"

Kris explained, as they all headed to their respective vehicles.

***Chapter 4***

Amanda inwardly cringed as the roar of the cars and screeching tires on the hot pavement streaked by. She traced her finger along the hood of her Porsche. 'Remember, you are doing this for Bosley. He stood behind you and risked his own life for yours many times during those years,' she continually repeated, as she braced for the events to follow.

She focused her mind on the task at hand. As she waited for her pit crew to give her the all go, she went over every detail of the car. She was glad that Charlie had lined up a competent crew, but she wished that Bobby could have been her crew chief again. His overbearing figure always put her at ease. She smiled at the group of young mechanics and slid into the driver's seat. 

The sound of the engine's moan beneath her encouraged her that perhaps Jill was right. Maybe all her training would return to her, as if she were riding a bicycle. As the crew chief gave the signal for her to pull out of the pit, she gave one last glance into the stands. She knew Lee was there, silently supporting her. She closed the visor to her helmet and pulled out onto pit lane.

'The preliminary race is only 100 laps,' Amanda reminded herself, as she steered her car back and forth across the lane to warm her tires. She wondered how she had managed to be in the fifth starting position for the qualifying run. 'Charlie must have pulled in another favor,' she thought as Jill passed ahead of her to take her place in third position. Amanda said a silent prayer as the cars took their places. She had to finish the race first for everything to go as planned. 

Lee and Kelly were seated in the stands watching the driver's line up. 

"Do you think she'll be able to handle it? I mean, after all she went through before," Lee said worriedly to Kelly.

"I take it that you know about the accident then?" Kelly replied putting a comforting hand on Lee's arm. "She'll be fine, Lee. If I know Bri, she has her mind on Bosley. She always was one to put others before herself."

Lee sighed. He knew what Kelly was saying was true. Amanda always did put others' needs before her own. How many times in the past had she volunteered to put herself in danger to solve a case, or for that matter, to save his life? 

"Some things never change, no matter how many years go by." Lee looked at Kelly, letting a small smile form across his lips. "She's my partner, I can't help but worry about her. I never do give her the credit she really deserves," he remarked, watching Amanda's car weaving in and out on the track below.

Kelly smiled back, as she watched Lee's intense gaze. She could see his body tense with each lap Bri made. Kelly knew that this man beside her had been bitten by the love bug, but was probably too afraid to admit it to anyone. She shook her head slightly and returned her focus back on the race.

The race had advanced to the twentieth lap. Amanda had taken fourth place and was quickly moving in on Jill, who still held a firm third position. Amanda looked back in her mirror and saw the driver she had just passed fall down into the lower lane. He tried to bully his way around her to regain his position. Amanda's mind slipped to the past and she almost lost control, but thoughts of Bosley's situation helped her regain her wits and take back control of the situation. She geared down, catching the down draft of Jill and pulled away from the driver. Jill had told her that if they made it to first and second place, if necessary, she would subtly allow for Bri to take first.

Kris had been watching from pit lane. She had just finished checking on Don. She wanted to make sure that neither of the Peterson brothers had been lurking around. As she started scanning the crowd in the stands, she thought she recognized them about four rows back from where Kelly and Lee were sitting. She wasn't quite sure if it was them, but if Don's description of the brothers was accurate, they fit the bill.

Kris mingled among the race fans as she made her way to the empty seat in front of Kelly. 

"Four rows back, directly behind you," she spoke, as she kept her eyes on the race. "I am not positive it's the boys, but if I remember Don's descriptions right, it's them."

The racers were now on lap eighty. All was going according to plan. Amanda had maneuvered herself and was now in third place. Jill had just taken the lead.

"That's my girl!" Kelly shouted, as the crowed cheered.

Four rows back the Peterson brothers cheered, "Come on Monroe. We've got a lot riding on you!"

Kris took this opportunity to get up and find a better seat. She found one in the same row as the Peterson brothers, about five seats down.

"I guess old Don may have come through for us after all," Richard remarked to his brother.

"Yeah, well, this is only the preliminary race. Our big money comes tomorrow," Bryant skeptically replied. "We still haven't seen him. How do we know he can fix the race?"

The race was now in lap ninety-five. Amanda had pulled into second.

"Come on Monroe!" Kelly shouted, as she joined the rest of the crowd cheering on their drivers. 

The Peterson brothers took notice, giving Kris the perfect opportunity for a snapshot.

"Hey, Bryant, isn't that Governor Garrison's daughter?" Richard asked.

"Yeah. You're right. I thought she was still overseas. If we play our cards right, we can make this even more worth our while," Bryant said, as a wicked grin crossed his face.

Kris had heard this and decided to take her seat by Kelly one more time. As she reached her seat, Amanda was now neck and neck with Jill. 

"Kelly, the Peterson boys have definitely spotted you. Lee, keep an eye out, it sounds like they might make a move to use Kelly as well," Kris said to the two, once again never taking her eyes off the race.

"I'll keep my eyes open," Lee said, as he put a protective hand under his coat and on his gun.

The race was now in its final two laps. Amanda was amazed at how much she remembered from so long ago. The racers she had passed had put up good fights, but she had managed to overtake them. She and Jill were now side by side. As they crossed the start line for the final lap, Amanda saw an opening. She quickly downshifted and shot ahead of Jill.

As Lee watched Amanda's car fly pass Jill's, something akin to fear and pride for her ran through him. He knew all too well how hard it was to face your demons and that is what she had just done. His pride for her as he watched her cross the finish line in first place almost overcame him. He stood and joined the crowd in cheering. He started to head down to the pits to wrap his arms around her and let everyone know that this wonderful woman was his. The sound of Kelly's voice, however, reminded him of their parts in this case, and he quickly restrained himself.

"Damn! Who is that? He came out of nowhere," Kelly shouted.

"That's Sabrina Duncan." Kris turned to face Kelly and Lee. "She's been off the racing circuit for close to thirteen years. I'd say she's made quite a comeback," she said slightly louder, hoping to attract the ears of the Peterson brothers.

"Excuse me, but how do you now so much?" Kelly asked, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Kris Montrose. I write for _The Auto Weekly_. I'm doing a story on women in racing. You're Kelly Garrison, aren't you?" Kris asked, throwing more information to bait the kidnappers.

"Yes. I'm visiting my father. He's tied up in meetings, so I bribed my bodyguard here with California Angels season passes if he keeps my trip to the tracks a secret from Dad," Kelly finished, giving Lee a sultry smile.

"I was just about to head down and congratulate the leaders and get some inside scoop for my story. Would you like to accompany me?" Kris asked them.

"You mean, meet Jill Monroe? I would love to. I've always admired her," Kelly smiled, as they followed Kris to the pit garages.

Lee was scanning the area for Amanda. He wanted to catch her eye and somehow let her know how proud he was of her.

As they reached Jill's car Lee heard someone, definitely male, call out "Sabrina Duncan!" He turned to see Amanda greet a dashingly handsome man with a hug.

"Who the HELL is that!?!" Lee said through clenched teeth.

Kelly and Kris looked at each other and grinned.

"That's Doug O'Neal. He and Sabrina go way back. He was a prime suspect in one of our cases, but Bri never believed he was guilty," Kelly started to explain.

"Yeah, we thought she was just blinded by 'love', but her instincts were right," Jill added, as she came up beside them. Noticing Lee's tightening jaw line she decided to change the subject. "Did you see her pull out ahead of me? I didn't have a chance to react before she shot right by."

Never taking his eyes off of Amanda, Lee calmed a little. "She never ceases to amaze me." He said, his voice reflecting the pride that he felt, but his eyes showed a twinge of jealousy, as he watched Amanda and Doug in their reunion. 

**********

Billy Melrose sat in his office watching ESPN. As he kept an eye on the race, he still had no clue as to why Lee wanted him to watch.

Francine entered with the information on the Peterson brothers. "Here you go. There isn't much to go on, just money laundering and gambling extortion." She became aware that Billy wasn't paying any attention to her, but rather some race on television. "What are you watching?" 

"What? Oh I'm sorry, Francine. Lee told me I had to watch this race. I guess it has something to do with the case."

"Sure, I'm slaving away going through files, and you are sitting here watching some dumb car race," Francine pouted, as she looked at the television. The race had just ended and what she saw next made her mouth drop.

The screen displayed pictures of the winners. In third place was John Bordan, in second was Jill Monroe, and in first was Sabrina Duncan. 

"Billy, that can't be! That just can't be!" Francine stuttered

Billy turned to look at the astonished face of his assistant. He then looked back at the screen. The cameras were now showing live footage of the drivers in pit lane. It sure as heck looked like their Amanda. 

"I don't know, but it does make sense. Lee was adamant I watch this race, if he hadn't, I would never have thought twice about it," Billy replied, as realization suddenly dawned on him. He took one more look at Francine's face and burst into a fit of laughter.

**********

"Doug, what a pleasant surprise," Amanda spoke, as she pulled away from their embrace. "What are you doing hanging around a racetrack?"

"I was in town and heard that Jill would be racing today. I thought I'd stop by and say 'hi' to an old friend. Imagine how excited I was to hear them announce your name, I just had to come down and see if it really was you. You look great. Hard to believe that fifteen years has gone by," Doug replied, standing back and eyeing her. "What brings you back to California?"

"Business, actually," Amanda answered. She was suddenly feeling a tad bit uncomfortable as more memories from so long ago came back. Glancing around to avoid Doug's gaze she noticed Lee standing with the others. She could see how tense he was and knew it was a direct result of Doug's presence. She smiled then. 'It's about time I threw some loops his way. Now maybe he'll know what I always feel like in the presence of his old flames.'

"Sabrina, you aren't back working for Charlie, are you?" Doug asked.

"Well, no, not exactly. I'm here on government business. It just so happens that I am working on this particular assignment with Jill, Kelly and Kris," she replied, trying to leave out any specifics.

"When you left California I thought it was to get away from this type of business," Doug stated.

"Oh, Doug, please, it's been over ten years, can't you give it a rest?" Amanda pleaded, beginning to get a little aggravated.

"OK, look, I'm sorry," Doug apologized. "Can I meet you for drinks or something later?"

"We have a lot of work to do, but I suppose a drink wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'm staying at the Hyatt Regency, why don't you meet me at the hotel bar say around 8:30?" she asked, as she looked over towards her friends and partner.

"That sounds great! I'll see you at 8:30 then." Doug gave her arm a little squeeze before he walked away.

'Time to face the music,' Amanda thought, as she headed over to congratulate Jill on a great race.

"I think we have given the Peterson brothers enough information to bait the hook," Kelly was explaining to Jill.

"Yeah I overheard them mentioning Kelly as a means for more money," Kris added.

"I take it then, you've spotted the Peterson brothers?" Amanda asked, as she approached the group.

"Yep. I spotted them sitting a few rows back from where Kelly and Lee were seated. Seems like they might want to get near Kelly," Kris repeated, as she pretended to be taking notes.

Amanda glanced over at Lee, who was standing next to Kelly. His stance was quite rigid and he was obviously avoiding eye contact with her.

"So what's our next move?" Lee asked, looking at Jill.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I am hungry and tired," Jill answered. "Why don't we head over to the hotel and meet up at the bar?"

Linking her arm through Lee's, Kelly replied, "That sounds like a great plan." 

"Miss Garrison, do you think I could borrow your bodyguard for a few minutes when we get back to the hotel?" Amanda asked her friend.

"Oh I suppose. That is if he wants to," Kelly winked at her.

"I won't keep him long. I promised Doug I would meet him in the hotel bar at 8:30," Amanda said, and then, noticing the angry look that crossed Lee's face. "I figured you could ask us to join you, I really don't think I can put up with him for too long," she added, giving Lee a subtle smile.

"I guess we should get going then," Jill stated. "I am going to go get grease boy. We'll meet you in the bar." She turned to go find Don, leaving the others to head their separate ways.

Kris followed Kelly and Lee out of the racetrack. Amanda went back to her pit garage to check with her crew and make sure things were ready for tomorrow. Gathering her personal effects she headed out of the arena to grab a cab back to the hotel.

When she reached her room, she took a deep breath and prayed that Lee would be waiting inside for her.

She unlocked the door and relaxed, as she saw him sitting on the bed. Shutting the door behind her, she greeted him with a smile, "Hi." 

"Hi," Lee replied, with just a hint of jealousy and anger in his voice.

"Why don't you call Billy while I freshen up?" Amanda suggested, as she rummaged through her suitcase for something suitable to wear.

"Yeah, I really should check in with him. It is more private in here," Lee remarked and then realizing what he said and how it might have sounded, he amended, "Fewer ears, that is."

Amanda smiled and walked over giving him a kiss on the cheek before heading into the bathroom to change.

Lee picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number, "Billy Melrose, please."

"Please state your business," the operator responded.

"Oh, sorry. This is Scarecrow," Lee added.

"One moment please."

"Melrose here."  
  
"Hey, Billy."

"Scarecrow! Was that really Amanda?" Billy jumped in before Lee could explain.

Pride in Amanda returned and he forgot all about Doug O'Neal. "You bet! Wasn't she incredible?"

"Scarecrow, what the HELL was Amanda doing in that race?" Billy demanded.

"Billy, I promised Amanda she could fill you in on those details when we get back. In the meantime have you got anything on the Peterson's?" Lee asked, getting back to the business at hand.

"Not too much, just the basic extortion and gambling charges. We found a list of their most current associates. I'm sending them to you by way of a special courier," Billy answered, with a chuckle.

Lee picked up on the laughter in his boss' voice. "Billy, you don't need to send Francine. We've got everything under control," he protested. He really didn't like the idea of Francine messing up his time with Amanda.

"Oh, yes I do. Lee, the look on her face when she realized Amanda had just qualified first in that race was priceless. My penance for the twenty minute laughing fit I had was agreeing to send her out there," Billy explained. 

"I guess there is no changing your mind?" Lee asked, knowing full well that Francine was coming no matter what. "You know, Billy, I could always tell her you called her a courier."

  
"Oh no, you don't," Billy laughed, "then I would really have something to regret. I'd make you regret it too."

"Oh, Billy, one more thing," Lee decided to add, "Can you get me a list of the drivers in tomorrow's race? I just want to make sure all is what it seems."

  
"Sure, Lee, I'll send it with Francine. She should arrive at the Governor's mansion around 10:30 tomorrow morning."

"I'll have her check in when she gets here. Goodnight, Billy."

"Goodnight, Lee. Oh and wish our speed racer luck for me," Billy said as he hung up.

"Tell who to check in when she arrives?" Amanda asked, as she emerged from the bathroom.

"Francine. Seems she is personally delivering the information they found on the Peterson's and their associates," Lee explained. "Apparently, she wants to meet some female racecar driver extraordinaire. Someone named Sabrina Duncan." He began to laugh and then stopped, as his eyes fell on the gorgeous woman in front of him. She was wearing a low cut navy blue scoop neck top and a pair of skintight jeans. The outfit definitely accented all of her curves.

Amanda noticed his gaze and began to feel that maybe this wasn't the best outfit after all. She wasn't used to wearing this type of clothing anymore. 

"Amanda, you look…Great!" Lee managed to stutter.

"You really think so?" Amanda asked hesitantly. "I feel so strange wearing these clothes again."

Lee got up from the bed and crossed the room to meet her. He possessively wrapped her in his arms and leaned down to begin placing kisses along her bare neck. "Trust me. You take my breath away," he said, as he raised his head to capture her lips with his.

A few seconds later, he pulled slightly apart from the woman he loved. "You'll always take my breath away," he sighed contentedly, leaning his head down towards her neck to continue what he had started with her lips.

"Lee, we don't have time for…well, to start anything," Amanda said, as she reluctantly pulled her lips from his.

He looked down at her and then remembering the meeting in the bar released her. 

"Wait just a minute! You aren't wearing that to see some…some old…flame," Lee growled.

"Oh, please! Two minutes ago you thought it was the most appealing thing," Amanda retorted, and then realizing what he meant, "Lee, this is the old me, the me that Kelly and Jill, and even Doug, recognize."

Before Lee could protest anymore, there was a knock at the door. Amanda went to answer it. 

"Ms. Duncan?" the bellboy asked.

"Yes, that's me," Amanda answered, as she took notice of the dozen yellow roses he was carrying.

  
"These are for you," he stated, as he handed her the flowers.

"Oh, thank you." Amanda took the flowers, put them on the table and grabbed a five from her purse. Handing the tip to the bellboy she closed the door.

Lee's look was speculative as she went to read the card.

'Congratulations on a race well won, Angel' was all it said.

  
"You can relax, Lee. They're from Charlie," Amanda answered his look. Putting the card on the table, she took his hand in hers and led him over to the bed. "Sit down, Lee. I want to explain some things to you."  
  
Lee sat on the bed, giving her a look of discomfort. "This is about Doug O'Neal, isn't it?"

"Yes, Lee. It's the real reason I wanted to meet with you before we met the others in the bar." She took his hand again and sat on the bed facing him, "Doug and I had met before a case Charlie had the us on." Lee nodded remembering what Kelly and Jill had told him earlier. "I guess Jill and Kelly told you that he was a suspect who turned out to be innocent." She paused when Lee nodded again.

"Well, after that, Doug and I started seeing each other pretty regularly. Then there was the accident." She shuddered a little remembering that day again. 

Lee squeezed her hand. "You were amazing today," he reassured her.

Amanda gently stroked his face with her other hand and looked into his eyes to say 'thank you' before continuing, "Doug was there when I came out of the coma and while I recuperated. He decided that my line of work was too dangerous, not just the racing but working for Charlie as well. He and I started to fight constantly about my choice of careers. I didn't want to leave Charlie's agency. I enjoyed my job too much and was good at it. Before we could try and work out our differences, my father died and I flew back to Virginia."

Lee watched as she turned to look out the window, trying to bring back the memories of so long ago. 

"Amanda, you don't owe me any explanations," he said, as he turned her face back so he could look into her eyes.

"I know, but I want to." She squeezed his hand and continued, "Mother had taken Dad's death really hard. I told Charlie I was taking a leave of absence. I knew I was going to home for awhile, so I decided to go back to school. I enrolled at UVA. That's where I met Joe. I realized that he was someone I could raise a family with. I called Charlie and told him I wasn't coming back and wanted to start a new life. He understood and wished me well."

She finished and looked at the clock. "I guess we need to head downstairs."

"I still don't think you should be wearing that," Lee said, more subdued this time.

"Lee, you have nothing to worry about, really. Doug is a part of my past, you are part of my future," she said as she got off the bed, still holding Lee's hand in hers.

  
He rose with her and they headed towards the door. 

She stopped and turned to face him. She placed her arms around his neck and gave him a long, inviting kiss.

As they broke the kiss, Amanda looked into Lee's eyes and said, "That's to give you something to dream about later." Giving him a sultry smile, she left the room. 

Lee just stood there and stared with wide eyes and a huge grin. Shaking his head to recollect himself, he walked out into the hall and headed down to join the others in the bar.

To be continued…


	2. Amanda, An Angel - part 2

Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The Charlie's Angels characters belong to Aaron Spelling. The story is the property of our imagination, and is for entertainment purposes only.

Summary: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY/CHARLIE'S ANGELS CROSSOVER. Amanda's past has come back to haunt her. The timeline for this story is placed after the events of Stemwinder. We have based most of the events in this story on the SMK timeline. Therefore, some of the Charlie's Angels timeframes have been adjusted to fit into those of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We did our best to keep to the facts of both shows, with the exception of Charlie's Angels background for Sabrina. We wanted to give Amanda a more experienced and adventurous background.

**We have read Kacey's SMK/CA crossover stories, and by no means are we trying to encroach on her ideas. Instead we thank her for giving us the idea for this story. She has been notified of our current story and has given us her permission to use some of her background details on why Amanda was Sabrina. Also, a very warm thank you to the SMKauthors for helping us make this story reach its full potential. **

Please feel free to Archive this anywhere, just let us know where.

This story has been rated R (for language and content)

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Amanda, An . . . Angel?

By Amy and Diane

***Chapter 5***

Amanda walked into the bar and self-consciously tugged at her shirt.

Doug rushed to her side the minute he saw her. "Hello, Sabrina."

"Hey, Doug," Amanda said, taking his arm.

"Want to take a seat with me at the bar?" Doug asked, pointing towards two empty chairs.

Amanda glanced at Kelly, Kris, Jill and Don seated at the far end of the room at a table. "Sure, I could use a drink," Amanda smiled.

Doug escorted her to the bar and motioned for the bartender. "Can I get you anything in particular?"

"I'd better just have a glass of white wine tonight. I have to race tomorrow, you know," Amanda teased.

"Get the lady a white wine and I'll have a straight scotch," Doug told the bartender. "I have really missed you, Sabrina. I'm definitely glad to see you again." Doug took her hand in his.

"I'm glad to see you too, Doug. I just wish it were under different circumstances," Amanda smiled warmly at him.

"What is it you're working on?"

"You know, I can't tell you that," Amanda laughed.

"I know, I just thought I'd try. You haven't changed a bit. You are as beautiful, if not more beautiful, then the day you left," Doug said, as he caressed her cheek.

Lee's good mood was quickly squelched when he walked into the bar and saw Doug gently caressing Amanda's cheek. 

He started to head in their direction when he heard Kelly yell, "Hey, big guy! We're over here."

Lee glanced at the small gathering at the table and turned in their direction. 

"What do you want to drink, Lee?" Jill asked, as she rose to go to the bar.

"Straight scotch."

"I'll get it," Jill said, as she headed towards the bar. She could tell by the intense gaze Lee had on Bri that she needed to keep Doug and Lee separated.

"Are you excited about the race tomorrow?" Doug asked Amanda.

"Nervous is more like it. I haven't been in a racecar since..."

"I know, and I'm sorry Bri. I know this is hard on you."

"It's not too bad. I got through today, so I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow. Jill told me it was just like riding a bike, you don't forget. I found out today she was right."

"You must have remembered every bit of it, because you tore that race track up," Doug laughed.

"I did do pretty good, didn't I?" Amanda joined in his laughter.

"I wonder what in the hell is so funny?" Lee grumbled, as he took a gulp of his scotch.

"Lee, Doug is part of Bri's past. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Kelly placed her hand on Lee's arm.

"Yeah, that is what she said," he paused, as he realized who was talking to him, "What makes you think that?" Lee pulled his gaze from Amanda and Doug to face Kelly.

"I've seen the way she looks at you. She has never, and I mean never, had that type of love in her eyes before. I'll tell you one thing, Lee Stetson. She worships the ground you walk on and you had better take care of her. If you don't you will find the Angels at your doorstep and we will make your life a living hell," Kelly warned.

"I'll second that," Jill smiled at Lee.

"I'll bring up the rear on this one," Kris joined in.

Lee huskily laughed. "Don't worry. I'll take care of her. I wouldn't want a bunch of angry Angels on my doorstep."

Amanda turned towards the familiar laugh. A slight smile came to her lips as she met Lee's gaze. 

Doug turned to look at the table full of friends. "Want to go join them?" he asked.

"Do you mind? I know you wanted us to catch up on old times." Amanda smiled warmly.

"It wouldn't be old times if that bunch wasn't around." Doug laughed.

"Alright." Amanda stood and started towards the table.

Doug gently took her arm to stop her. "Wait. Listen, Sabrina, they're playing our song." 

Amanda smiled at the music. "You remembered."

"I could never forget 'Colour My World'. You made me wait in line for two days to get us tickets to the Chicago concert." Doug laughed, as he led her to the dance floor.

Amanda smiled up into his eyes, as they swayed to the soft music. She allowed him to pull her close, as the memories of the past flooded her mind.

"Alright, Kelly. You'd better give me some idea as to what is going on before I go over there and physically remove him from Sabrina."

"Oh, Lee. Don't be such an old fart. They are just reminiscing. That used to be 'their' song."

"Their song, huh?" Lee watched as the music came to an end. "I may just have to think of one for us," he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that, Lee?" Kris asked.

"Nothing." Lee gave her his brightest smile.

Doug led Amanda from the dance floor and joined the group.

"Hello, Angels. It's been a really long time." Doug smiled at the three women seated at the table.

"Too long." Kelly laughed, as she stood and hugged Don.

"Way too long." Jill joined them.

"I agree," Kris said, as she too joined in the group hug.

"I'm going to get one big head with all this attention," Doug laughed, as he made the most of it.

All five joined Lee and Don back at the table. "Doug this is Lee Stetson. He is here from D.C. to help us with this case," Kelly said.

"Nice to meet you, Lee." Doug extended his hand.

"Same here." Lee accepted it and gave him a firm handshake.

Doug then took notice of the other man at the table and was about to mention how familiar he looked, when Kelly continued the introductions.

"This is Don Bosley, our Bosley's brother. He's helping us while his brother is on vacation," Kelly lied, not wanting to divulge any more information than was necessary.

The two men shook hands. "Nice to meet you as well." 

"So, you are from D.C. I guess you and Sabrina work together then?" Doug asked, returning his attention back to Lee.

"Now, Doug. You know we can't get into the details of our case," Kris jumped in.

"I know. Sabrina has already warned me," Doug replied never, taking his eyes from Lee.

"I'm actually kind of tired. It's going to be a big day for all of us tomorrow," Amanda said, as she gave Jill a pleading look.

"Yeah, me too. I think I'll turn in," Jill smiled at Amanda. Kelly and Kris nodded in agreement. "Well I guess we'll all meet at the race track in the morning," Jill said to the others as she rose to leave.

"Sabrina, would you care if I came to the pits tomorrow to root you on?" Doug asked.

"That would be nice, Doug."

"Can I walk you to your room, Sabrina?" Doug asked.

"Sure," Amanda said, as she gave Lee a reassuring smile. "Goodnight, everyone." Amanda turned and left the bar with Doug.

Kelly watched as Lee's body tensed. "Lee, she just needs a moment alone with him to tell him how things are now."

"I know, but it still irritates the hell out of me," Lee seethed.

"Don't worry about her. I'm on my way up now." Jill gave Lee a pat on the back before heading out of the bar.

Don looked at the three remaining agents. "Do you think this is really going to work?" 

"Don't worry about it, Don." Kelly patted him comfortingly on the arm.

"I can't help it. If I hadn't been so stupid…" Don turned his worried eyes towards Kelly.

"Look, we all make mistakes. We'll get your brother back and then you can straighten things up between the two of you," Kris reassured him.

"Let's finish our drinks and head out ourselves." Kelly held up her glass.

Lee remained quiet, as he watched the door Amanda had just left through. He trusted her with his life and he knew he could trust her with his heart. He just didn't know how much he trusted Doug.

"Did you notice that Jill left us to pay the bar tab again?" Kris laughed.

"Yeah." Kelly started to stand up to go pay the bill.

"This one is on me. It's worth every penny to see a little of Sabrina's past," Lee smiled mischievously, as he pulled out his wallet and headed to the bar.

Nick Sporelli sat in the shadows of the bar. A dark smile crossed his features, 'so, the Angels have made an appearance once again,' Nick reflected.

He raised his glass in a silent toast to the women before finishing his drink, as he took note of who made up Donald Bosley's new pack of friends. He waited until the last of the party had gone before he left to make arrangements to meet with the Peterson brothers. He wanted to share his 'new found' information.

**********

"Amanda, may I come in for a little while?" Doug asked, as they reached her door.

"Doug, under different circumstances, I might say yes. I think I need to explain a few things," Amanda said, as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What?"

"I have really missed you," Amanda started.

"I've really missed you too," Doug said, as he started to lean in for a kiss.

"No, Doug. I'm sorry, but I've started a new life. I have someone very special in my life back home," Amanda explained, as she smiled sweetly at him.

"I don't think he is back home, Bri," Doug said grimly.

"What?" Amanda asked.

"I think he was sitting in that bar tonight. I felt a few daggers in my back while we were on the dance floor," Doug said seriously.

"Oh, Doug."

"Don't 'oh Doug' me. I saw the way you and Lee looked at each other. I'm not glad that he has your heart, but I _am_ glad you're happy," Doug smiled weakly.

Amanda gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Doug." 

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Doug asked, as he turned to leave.

"I hope you'll still come to cheer me on, Doug. I'm going to need your support."

"I'll always be there for you, Sabrina. Nothing will ever change that," Doug said, as he walked down the hallway to the elevator.

**********

"What is so damn important that you had to meet us in the middle of the night?" Bryant Peterson asked, as he looked around the dimly lit alley.

"You're not going to believe who I saw at the hotel bar tonight!" Nick exclaimed.

"Well, are you just going to stand there? Out with it!" Richard grumbled, as he kept his hand securely over his gun.

"Don Bosley! He was sitting at a table with Kelly Garrison and her bodyguard."

"What?" Bryant asked, as he continued to scan the area for unwanted company.

"Yeah, and to top it all off, Charlie's Angels were there, too."

"Let me get this straight. Kelly Garrison, her bodyguard, Charlie's Angels, and Don were all together at this bar," Richard said, counting each person's name on his fingers.

"That's what I said," Nick fumed.

"Oh yeah, and there was one other dude that I didn't recognize. He was all over Sabrina Duncan. I figure he's just some new boyfriend."

"This could be very interesting, indeed. We may just be able to kill several birds with one stone," Bryant contemplated.

"What are you thinking?" Richard asked.

"Shhh…" Bryant hissed, as he went to check out the crinkling sound on the other side of the dumpster.

Richard pulled his gun and followed his brother. Bryant kicked the man that lay under the newspapers. "Just some poor old drunk bastard."

"Nick, do you think you could take Sabrina out in the race?" Bryant asked, as he motioned for his brother to return to the other side of the dumpster.

"I did it all those years ago. I can do it again," Nick smiled evilly.

"Good. You just concentrate on that. My brother and I have our own little plans," Bryant smiled at Richard.

Richard returned his brother's smile and slapped him on the back, "I think I see where your twisted mind is going."

"What?" Nick asked.

"You just keep your mind on your little task and leave the rest to us. We still have a lot of money riding on Jill Monroe, and I assure you that you will be well compensated for your trouble," Bryant said, as the brothers walked to their car.

**********

Lee twisted and turned on the crisp linen sheets as he tried to relax and drift off to sleep. Thoughts of Amanda's promising kiss, however, refused his body the rest it needed.

He glanced at the phone on the nightstand. 'Perhaps a quick phone call just to make sure she's okay. It definitely couldn't hurt,' Lee thought, as he reached for the phone and called the hotel.

"Hello? Hyatt Regency," the operator answered.

"Aman…Sabrina Duncan's room please," Lee mumbled.

"NO!" Amanda screamed as she jolted up in bed. She rubbed her face, trying to erase the images of the fire from her mind.

"Sir, there is no answer in her room. Would you like to leave a message?" The operator asked.

"Will you please ring her room one last time?" Lee asked, as all types of possible disasters ran through his mind.

Amanda turned her clouded eyes to the ringing phone. "Hello?"

"Are you alright?" Lee asked, relieved she had answered this time.

Still trying to shake the images, Amanda answered, "Yes, Lee."

"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for the last ten minutes."

"I'm sorry, Lee. I was asleep. I must not have heard it," Amanda said, trying to hide any effects the dream might have had from her voice. 

"That's alright. I was just worried about you."

"Thank you, but really, I'm fine."

"I just called to say goodnight."

"I miss you too, Lee," Amanda smiled at the real meaning of his words.

"I love you, Amanda." 

Amanda felt her heart flutter each time he spoke those three little words to her. "I love you too, Lee."

"I...I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Lee," Amanda said, as she hung up the phone.

Rolling over on his side, he commanded his body to rest. He closed his eyes and focused on how lucky he was to have a woman as special as Amanda love him. His body slowly drifted off to sleep with the image of Amanda's love-filled brown eyes peering into his soul.

***Chapter 6***

Lee squinted in the bright morning sunlight as he walked down the front steps of the mansion. 

"Beautiful day for a race." Kelly joined him in the yard.

"Yeah," Lee replied, as he placed his sunglasses on.

"When is that extra agent going to show up?" Kelly asked.

"She'll be here around 10:30."

"That's pretty close to race time. I want to get to the track before it starts."

"Don't worry, Kelly. There is no way in hell I'm going to miss any part of this race." Lee flashed her his hundred-watt smile.

"I didn't think you would," Kelly laughed.

"So, what are we going to do with ourselves for the next four hours?" Kelly asked, as she looked at her watch.

"I was thinking maybe we might go out and find us a bookie to do a little pre-race betting. We want to keep up your image as the gambler. Then maybe, a quick trip to the track. Just to make sure things look right for the race," Lee said, as he turned to take a seat on the bottom step.

"Now, it wouldn't be because you think you might get a glimpse of that fabulous racecar driver, Sabrina Duncan, would it?" Kelly laughed and joined him on the steps.

"Well, that would be an added benefit," Lee said quietly.

"So, what's Sabrina's new life like?" Kelly asked.

Lee looked at her innocently, "What do you mean?" 

"All I can get out of her is that she works with you and has two boys. I want to know all of the juicy details."

"I really think that Sabrina should be the one to tell you that," Lee said seriously.

"Oh come on, Lee. What do you and she do for this 'Agency'?" Kelly poked him in the side.

"We kind of do the same thing you guys did as a team. We help out those who need it, but it is usually on a national security level. I really can't say much more than that," Lee explained, trying to be as vague as possible.

"I know she has it in her blood. Sabrina was always one to enjoy the rush of intrigue," Kelly laughed. "So, when are you going to tell her that you love her?" Kelly asked, as she looked at her reflection in his sunglasses. "You can't hide behind those sunglasses forever."

"Kelly..." Lee stammered.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing, Mr. Secret Agent Man. You had better not wait too long. She is a patient and understanding woman, but there are a lot of fishermen in the sea of love that would sell their soul to net your little fish," Kelly laughed, as she stood to go inside to get ready to leave.

Lee shook his head and watched Kelly enter the house. The women of Charlie's employ were anything but shy about saying what they had on their minds. He knew he loved Amanda with all of his heart and apparently others could see how he felt as well. Perhaps, it was time for him to make a life long commitment to her. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like with out her, and he definitely wasn't going to let any other man have the opportunity. He removed his sunglasses and looked at the bright sun. It was definitely time for him to break down the remaining walls he had built up over his thirty-six years of life. Amanda King already had his heart and soul. Was he ready to take the next step? 'Mrs. Amanda Stetson, that has the perfect ring to it.' He smiled at the thought, as he walked into the house to find Kelly and start the day ahead.

**********

"Are you ready, Bri?" Jill knocked on Amanda's door.

Amanda opened the door for her friend. "I'm ready."

"You look just like you did before you moved back east. Charlie did an excellent job fitting you for your race gear," Jill laughed.

"Yeah. It's just like the uniform I used to have." Amanda turned around to show off the outfit.

"Are you sure you're ready for this race?" Jill asked.

"I made it through yesterday. I think I can make it through today."

"Just remember you're not the one who is supposed to win today," Jill teased, as they walked down the hall towards the elevator.

"Yeah, well that doesn't mean I can't give you a run for your money." Amanda said, as she joined her friend in laughter. 

"Where are Don and Kris?" Amanda asked, as they entered the lobby.

"I sent Don on ahead this morning. The pit crew members are supposed to be early risers." Jill waved down a cab for Amanda.

"If he's anything like Bos, I bet he loved that," Amanda laughed.

"Well, he sure wasn't real happy with me this morning. Kris went early, too. She wanted to check out the other drivers ahead of time to keep up her reporter image. Here's your cab. I'm going to go grab my car. I'll meet you at the track," Jill said, as she waved goodbye to Amanda and headed for the parking garage.

**********

"Hey, Bryant. Kelly Garrison and her bodyguard are over at Smokey Bill's now placing a big bet on Sabrina Duncan," Richard whispered into the phone.

"Good. All the more for us," Bryant laughed.

"Do you want me to try and take her now?" Richard asked.

"Don't be stupid. It'll be easier at the race with the distraction Nick is going to give us. Before the cops figure out that she is missing, we'll have her safely tucked away," Bryant smugly said.

"What about the big guy with her?"

"You know the old saying 'The bigger they are the harder they fall'," Bryant laughed, as he hung up the phone with Richard.

"Well, Lee. I think that bet raised a few eyebrows," Kelly whispered, as she glanced at Richard hovering over the phone.

Lee looked down at his watch. "Yeah. This took a lot longer than I thought. It's already 10:30. I guess the trip to the track is out of the question." 

"She'll be fine, Lee. She is a professional remember? Let's get back to the mansion and meet up with your agent friend." Kelly placed her arm around his as they left the dive.

**********

Amanda watched while her pit crew made one last check over her Porsche. She glanced at the other teams as they made their final preparations. She caught a glimpse of Jill arguing with her crew chief about the tires and shook her head.

"Jill will never change, Bri." A deep voice filled with laughter came from behind her.

Amanda turned to hug the man behind her. "Bobby! I can't believe it. You made it."

"Did you think I would let my little Bri spin her tires without me?" Bobby picked her up and swung her around.

Amanda pulled back to look into his big brown eyes. "I didn't think that Charlie had been able to find you." 

"Let's just say old Charlie is not the only one with little birds to tell him everything." Bobby flashed her a bright smile as he sat her back on the ground.

"Thank you, Bobby. I can't tell you how much this means to me," Amanda said, with tears coming to her eyes.

"Let's not get mushy, Bri. You know I don't like that kind of stuff," Bobby teased.

Amanda warmly smiled up at the giant of a man. "I know."

"Well, I had better make sure these rookies get your car ready!" Bobby laughed and turned his attention to the car. Amanda watched as Bobby grumbled and fussed at the men around her car.

"Everything is a go, Bri," Bobby returned to her side.

"Thanks, Bobby. I'll try to keep it out of the ditches," Amanda nervously laughed.

"It would make our job a lot easier." Bobby joined in her laughter.

"You know, it's kind of like reliving the past, Bobby," Amanda said, glancing up to watch the fans fill the stands. "The excitement, the cheering, and the danger." As she spoke the last word, a chill went up her spine and she looked back towards her car.

Bobby engulfed her shoulders with his large arm. "Yeah, but it's not the past, Bri." 

"Yes, I know, but I can't help feeling that something will go wrong." Amanda looked up into Bobby's understanding brown eyes.

"You just keep your pretty little head focused on that track and everything will turn out fine." Bobby squeezed her shoulders a little tighter.

"Thanks, Bobby," Amanda smiled, as her body relaxed in his comforting grip.

**********

Francine glanced at her watch and tapped her foot against the marble floor. "Where on Earth is he?"

"Talking to yourself again, Francine?" Lee asked, as he entered the main foyer.

"I've been waiting here for you for over an hour," Francine fumed.

"I'm sorry, Francine. Kelly and I lost track of time," Lee winked at Kelly. "Francine Desmond met Kelly Garrett. She is a member of the Townsend Detective Agency," Lee finished, smiling at Francine.

"Nice to meet ya', Francine." Kelly extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you, too." Francine accepted the gesture. "Now that the introductions are over, Scarecrow, how about some answers?" Francine turned her attention back to Lee.

"Scarecrow?" Kelly gave Lee an inquisitive look.

Lee shrugged his shoulders. "My codename." 

"Hmm... If your 'codename' is Scarecrow then I can only imagine what Bri's is," Kelly laughed.

"Bri?" Francine raised her eyebrow.

"Sabrina Duncan. You know, Lee's partner," Kelly explained.

"You mean A…" Francine started to say.

"Francine, I think you and I need to have a moment alone," Lee quickly interjected.

"Is she talking about..." Francine began again.

"I said, I think you and I need a moment alone, Francine." Lee smiled at Kelly, as he took Francine's arm and headed towards the library. He had a few things to explain to Francine and he didn't want extra ears around.

"More secrets, Scarecrow," Kelly laughed, as she watched them go down the hall.

"Just a few, Kelly." Lee returned her laughter.

"If his name is Scarecrow? I wonder if Sabrina's is, Dorothy?" Kelly laughed to herself, as she sat on the steps to wait for them.

"So what's all the hush-hush about, Lee?" Francine pulled her arm away from him.

"Look, Francine. Amanda has a past here in California and a present in Virginia. The two just don't seem to know about each other, so to speak," Lee said, as he started to pace the library.

"I don't get it, Lee? What's the big secret?"

"Amanda's name while she is here is Sabrina Duncan. She worked for the same detective agency as Kelly and two other women when she was in college. It was a lot like the work that we do now. If word got out about her real identity, her past enemies could come back to haunt her and her family," Lee explained, taking a deep breathe.

"You and Amanda work together too much, Scarecrow. You are starting to sound just like her," Francine said seriously.

"Someone else just recently mentioned that to me," Lee said with a softer tone.

Francine frowned at Lee. "I do understand the situation with her identity, but it's hard for me to comprehend that Amanda has a secret past. Let alone that she was some kind of super detective." 

"Well, believe it or not, it's all true." Lee focused his attention on the contents of the bookshelf, as he tried to hide the smile that crossed his face. He was enjoying the discomfort Francine felt at the knowledge that Amanda did indeed have 'training'. A lot more than Francine had ever thought she could possibly have.

Francine started walking towards Lee. "Was that really her yesterday in that race?" she asked, trying to make more sense of the whole situation. 

"Yep. She did some pretty amazing driving, too." Lee turned to face Francine, as a proud smile crossed his face.

"She couldn't even drive a stick until last year. Not to mention that fiasco when she was at Station One and nearly killed me in our driving course?" Francine asked, as she searched Lee's face for comprehension.

"Francine, we all have our pasts to deal with. Amanda had some things happen in her past she had to deal with. One of which she had to overcome before she could drive in that race yesterday. That performance is what put her in good standing for today's race," Lee said sternly.

"I don't suppose it would do any good for me to ask what that was," Francine asked, as a frown returned to her face.

"Nope, need to..." Lee started his speech.

"I know. I know. Need to know," Francine mumbled.

"I am serious about not letting anyone here know about her life in Virginia. They all know she was married, has two kids and works for the Agency. Other than that they still think her name is Sabrina Duncan. We need to make sure it stays that way." Lee searched Francine's face for understanding.

"Lee, I am a professional. Her secret is safe with me," Francine reassured him.

"Thanks. Did you bring the information I needed?" Lee asked.

"Of course," Francine snapped. Reaching into her briefcase, she pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Lee.

After accepting it, Lee opened the library door for Francine. "Let's go find Kelly and see what we can come up with. I'll fill you in on all of the other details on the way to the track."

"I was wondering how long you were going to have your secret meeting?" Kelly teased, as she saw them enter the foyer.

"Kelly, this is a list of the drivers in today's race. I thought we might find out more of what Jill will be facing by giving it a quick once-over. I also had the Peterson brothers checked out. You know their haunts and habits, their known associates and assets in the area." Lee handed Kelly the first page of the list.

"I've already looked through this package during my long flight here. Did you know that Billy sent me coach?" Francine angrily looked at Lee.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Francine, but I think you need to look at this Lee." 

Lee paled, as his eyes fell upon one particular name. "What the Hell is Nick Sporelli doing in this race? He wasn't in the preliminary race," Lee asked, as fear began to race through his mind.

"He's a replacement driver. I read that somewhere in that packet," Francine stated.

"Shit! It's already 11:30 and the race starts at noon."

"The track is forty-five minutes away!" Kelly exclaimed.

Lee grabbed Kelly's hand and headed for the door. "We have to get in touch with Bri and Jill before that race starts!" 

"There's a cell phone in the Governor's sedan. We can try calling the track from there." Kelly quickened her pace to keep up with Lee.

Francine didn't question their actions. She followed them to the car totally confused by this sudden change of events.

***Chapter 7***

Thirty minutes before the race, two boys sat watching ESPN with their dad. As the Laguna Seca 200 coverage began, images of the drivers were put on the screen. 

"Returning to the racing circuit after a thirteen year absence, Sabrina Duncan, who won yesterday's qualifying race, has chosen to start in third position today," the announcer's voice proclaimed.

  
"Hey, Dad," Jamie said, turning to face his brother and father, "That woman looks exactly like Mom."

"Don't be a dorkus, Jamie." Phillip poked his brother. "That woman can't be Mom. It may look like her, but our Mom can't even drive a stick"

"I didn't say it WAS Mom. I just said she looked like her," Jamie defended his comment.

  
"Phillip, don't call your brother names," Joe King said to his boys. "Jamie made an observation and that is all. Why don't we turn the television off and go outside and play some basketball?"

"Yeah! Ok!" chimed his two boys.

Joe turned off the television, but not before he looked at the images one more time. He shook his head. Ever since he found out about her involvement with the Agency, he never knew what Amanda was capable of these days. Turning, he went to join his sons outside.

**********

Kris took another look up at the stands and then at her watch. There were only fifteen minutes left before the race started and she hadn't seen any sign of either Kelly or Lee. Not wanting to think bad thoughts, she headed towards the pits to wish her favorite drivers luck.

"Jill, weren't you being just a little hard on your crew?" she asked, after witnessing her sister's tirade.

"Kris, sometimes I wonder whether they know which side of the tire is which," Jill replied, frustrated. "Besides, it's how I make sure I come out on top. If I don't scold them before a race, they think that something is really wrong."

Kris laughed, "So you're telling me you're superstitious then?"

"You can never be too sure when it comes to racing," Jill laughed with her sister. "So, any sign of the Peterson brothers?"

"Yep, they're sitting in the same spot as yesterday," Kris informed her, as she pretended to take notes.

"Any sign of Kelly and Lee?" Amanda asked, as she approached her friends.

"No, not yet, Bri," Kris replied. "Don't worry, they'll be here in time to see you race."

"I know, it's just that I have a really bad feeling," she explained. "Call it a sixth sense, but I just know something is going to go wrong."

"Maybe you should start yelling at your crew too," Kris laughed, as she looked at her sister.

"Don't be crazy. Bri has the best crew chief around. I saw Bobby over there, she couldn't be in better hands," Jill said reassuringly, as she extended her hand for Sabrina to shake. "Good luck, Bri. Everything will be just fine."

"Thanks, Jill," Amanda returned the shake. She would have preferred a hug, but figured that would be out of character for competitors.

"Driver's prepare to embark. Five minutes to start time," the official's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Good luck, you two. I am going to head back into the stands and wait for Kelly and Lee." Kris waved at them as she turned to leave pit lane.

Amanda and Jill headed back to their cars. As Amanda reached her garage, Doug was waiting for her.

"I just wanted to wish my favorite driver good luck," he said as he handed her a single white rose.

"Oh, Doug, thank you," Amanda gasped.She took the rose and kissed him on the cheek.

"Knock 'em dead," Doug replied, as he started to hug her. He didn't realize exactly what he had said until he saw her face pale. "Oh, Sabrina, I am so sorry. I really didn't mean it like that. What a time to put my foot in my mouth, huh?"

Amanda shuddered at his words. "It's okay, Doug, really. That was a long time ago. I have a job to do and I plan on finishing what I started," she replied, accepting his hug. As she spoke the words however, she wasn't sure which one of them she was really trying to make feel better.

Breaking from the embrace, she opened the car door and got into the driver's seat. As she turned the key in the ignition, Bobby nodded that all was ready. She put on her helmet and pulled out of the garage.

As Amanda drove out of her pit and into the lane, she was unaware of the driver four cars behind her. Preparing to start in tenth position, Nick Sporelli had decided to play it cool and stay out of sight until the time was right. 'No use spooking my prey too soon and ruining all the fun,' he thought to himself.

Amanda pulled her car into third position. Looking down at the rose Doug had given her, thoughts of Lee entered her mind. She smiled at the memory of Lee's face when he had seen her with Doug.The reassurance of his feelings for her gave her the strength she needed to get through this race.

The official waved the start flag. She put her left foot on the clutch, shifted into first gear and put her right foot on the accelerator. As her car picked up speed, she once again felt the rush and excitement that came with the thrill of the race.

Kris watched the racers cross the start line before heading towards an open seat not far from the Peterson brothers. As she ascended the stairs, she caught sight of Kelly and Lee entering the stands. Heading up to meet them, Kris saw the frantic look on Lee's face.

"Lee, Kelly, what's wrong?" she asked, as they reached each other.

"We have to stop that race!" Lee almost shouted.

"I don't think that is possible, Lee. The racers are already on the first lap." Confused and worried, she looked from Lee to Kelly.

"Lee, here, got extremely agitated as soon as he read the list of drivers in today's race," a tall blonde answered. "The way he was driving to get here, you'd think he was the one in today's race."

Kris saw the evil look Lee gave the woman who had just spoken. Turning to look at her, she asked, "Excuse me, but who are you?"

"Sorry, Kris, this is Francine Desmond, an associate of Lee and Sabrina's," Kelly made the introduction.

"Can we cut the small talk!?! A…Damn it! Sabrina's life is in danger," Lee growled, through clenched teeth. He was growing more frustrated by the minute. Amanda had a killer on her tail and he had no way of warning her.

Kris, Kelly and Francine looked at each other and then at Lee.

"Well, if you'll tell me what's going on, maybe we can figure something out," Kris stated, trying to find a way to calm Lee down. They couldn't afford to blow their covers.

Kelly looked around at the crowd in the stands and noticed how close they were to the Petersons. "Let's get away from all the big ears around here in order to have this conversation."

When they reached the entranceway, Lee began explaining, "I asked Francine to bring me a list of the drivers in today's race. I wanted to make sure we weren't up for any surprises. Apparently there was a last minute substitution after the qualifying race yesterday," Lee began, as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Nick Sporelli is now in that race, Kris," Kelly continued.

"No, you have to be wrong," Kris replied, shaking her head.

"Here's the list of drivers," Francine said, as she handed the sheet to Kris. "I still don't understand what the problem is. The whole ride here was one of complete silence. Even though Lee drove like a maniac, it still made the twenty-five minute drive unbearable."

"Sorry, Francine. I guess our thoughts were on trying to get here in time to pull Sabrina out of the race," Kelly apologized. "You see, fifteen years ago, Nick Sporelli was responsible for causing Sabrina to crash. She came out alive, but another driver was killed as a result of the accident."

"Oh." Francine was still in shock by the idea of Amanda as this other person. 

"Charlie arranged for Nick to be permanently suspended from Formula One racing after we proved that he had deliberately caused the accident. Nick never quite forgave us for ruining his racing career," Kris continued. "We always thought Sabrina's disappearance was somehow connected to that race."

"Charlie explained later that she'd left to start a new life. We never did get to tell her that the authorities found Nick responsible for the accident, and not her," Kelly finished, turning to look at Francine.

"Well, how the hell did he get reinstated?" Lee snarled, through clenched teeth.

Francine shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't tell you that, Lee. I'm just the messenger."

"We aren't going to get anything accomplished standing here," Kris replied. "For the moment, I think we need to get back to playing our parts. Lee, you and Kelly head to your seats…"

Lee cut her off, "If you think I am going go sit by and do nothing, you're crazy!"

"Lee, Kris is right," Francine stated, with the air of authority she was used to using around Lee. "You two take your seats and keep up your covers. Kris and I can head down to the pit and talk to Sabrina's crew. Maybe they can help us figure out a way to warn her."

"I don't have much of a choice do I?" Lee reluctantly groaned. He didn't like sitting idly by, but he knew he had a job to do, and his part wasn't that of a white knight.

"No, you don't," Kelly warmly said, as she turned towards him. "I don't like it either, but they are right. We still have to get Bosley back and to do that we need to keep an eye on the Peterson brothers. The longer we stand here debating, the harder it'll be for us to help Bri." As she finished speaking, she linked her arm in his and headed towards their seats.

As Kris and Francine headed down to the pits, they noticed the drivers were already into lap fifteen. Kris noted that Bri was close on Jill's tail, holding her position in third.

"I still can't get over that Amanda is a racecar driver," Francine mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" Kris asked, as they neared Sabrina's garage.

"Hmm, oh nothing," Francine replied, flipping her hair out of her face.

Kris wasn't so sure she liked this arrogant woman. "Hey, there's Bobby, Bri's crew chief. If anyone can figure out a way to help us, he can."

Walking up to Bobby, they saw he was in a conversation with Don.

Bobby broke his discussion with Don when he saw the two blonde women approach. "Kris, how's it going," he greeted her with a warm smile. "Your sister is doing just great out there."

He began to point at the track and then took notice of the concerned look on Kris' face. "What's wrong?"

"Bobby, Nick Sporelli's out on that track," Kris blurted out. "We have to warn Bri."

Bobby's mood went from cheerful to angry in a manner of seconds. "How the Hell? Forget it, I don't want to know," he bellowed and then turned to face the track.

"Is there a way we can contact her, a radio set up or something?" Francine asked. She was getting annoyed with stating the obvious and calming down irate men.

Bobby looked at Kris and then to the other woman. "I am sorry, you are?"

"I am getting a little tired of that phrase," Francine replied, a little exasperatedly. "I'm Francine Desmond, an associate of… Sabrina Duncan's." She had almost said Amanda, but remembered at the last second that everyone there didn't know her by that name. "I work with her back in D.C.," she finished.

"Nice to meet you, Francine, and sorry about the harsh words. Now, to answer your question, Sabrina doesn't have a headset radio, so I don't know how to contact her. Right now the only thing we can do is wait for her to come into pit lane. Usually by lap thirty, the drivers have to have something checked out."

"It looks like they are just entering lap twenty, so we shouldn't have to wait too long." Don stated. He turned to Francine, "Hi, I'm Don Bosley. I am kind of the reason that Sabrina and Kris are caught up in this mess," he finished looking down at the ground.

Francine turned to Kris with a questioning look.

"His brother is the one that was kidnapped by the Peterson brothers," Kris explained in a quiet voice, as she put a comforting hand on Don's arm. "Don't feel responsible for this, Don. We had no way of knowing Nick was associated with the Peterson's, or that he would somehow manage to show up in this race."

Doug saw Kris talking with Bobby, Don Bosley and another woman. He noticed the worried and angry looks that passed between them.He left his trackside seat, and headed in their direction.

As they entered lap twenty-five, Amanda became aware of the driver behind her trying to catch her down draft. She took a quick look in the rearview mirror and her heart stopped. The glare of the black car and the face behind the wheel were all too familiar. 'My mind is just playing tricks on me.' she thought, trying to shake the memories from her head. She once again glanced back at her rear view mirror. It was the same image, only much closer. "Oh, my gosh!"

Nick Sporelli decided it was now or never and gently rammed into her back bumper.

It took only a split second for her to loose control of the situation. The mix of emotions and the sudden impact of his car against hers caused her to slide down to the lane below.

As she tried to get a grip on her emotions, she noticed Bruce Stemple's only inches from her. She clenched the wheel and quickly moved back into the upper lane. Nick once again bumped into her, this time with more force causing her to tail spin. Amanda looked Stemple's way for a split second. The expression on his face, was the same as Nadeau's only seconds before the explosion. Determination overcame fear. She was not going to let another innocent driver be killed. She quickly regained control and swerved her car into an upper lane, just missing Bruce's car. However, in paying attention to Bruce's position she never saw Nick trying to get around her in the other lane. The increase in speed from her near miss with Bruce caused her to crash right into the front end of Nick Sporelli's car.

Lee had jumped out of his seat the second Amanda's car had spun out of control. He managed to breathe a sigh of relief when she missed hitting the other driver. His heart stopped, however, when he saw her slam into Nick Sporelli's car. Before he could utter a sound, the impact of the two cars caused Nick's engine to explode. Amanda's car was flung up and over, falling onto its roof.

Lee couldn't control the shout that flowed from the pit of his stomach and out of his mouth, "AMANDA!!!!" 

He didn't care who heard him! All he knew was that he needed to get down onto that track. He was up and rushing towards the aisles, before Kelly had time to get out of her seat.

As Kelly pushed past the standing race fans to catch up with Lee, she was suddenly caught off guard by the arm that wrapped around her neck. "Lee!" was all she got out before a cloth was brought to her mouth, rendering her unconscious.

Lee turned around when he heard the anguished cry just in time to see Kelly being dragged off by Bryant Peterson. He was unaware of Richard standing next to him, until he felt a gun in his side. Richard removed Lee's gun from its holster and motioned his head for Lee to follow Bryant.

To be continued…


	3. Amanda, An Angel - part 3

Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The Charlie's Angels characters belong to Aaron Spelling. The story is the property of our imagination, and is for entertainment purposes only.

Summary: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY/CHARLIE'S ANGELS CROSSOVER. Amanda's past has come back to haunt her. The timeline for this story is placed after the events of Stemwinder. We have based most of the events in this story on the SMK timeline. Therefore, some of the Charlie's Angels timeframes have been adjusted to fit into those of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We did our best to keep to the facts of both shows, with the exception of Charlie's Angels background for Sabrina. We wanted to give Amanda a more experienced and adventurous background.

**We have read Kacey's SMK/CA crossover stories, and by no means are we trying to encroach on her ideas. Instead we thank her for giving us the idea for this story. She has been notified of our current story and has given us her permission to use some of her background details on why Amanda was Sabrina. Also, a very warm thank you to the SMKauthors for helping us make this story reach its full potential. **

Please feel free to Archive this anywhere, just let us know where.

This story has been rated R (for language and content)

**Words and lyrics at the end are courtesy of Peter Gabriel**

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Amanda, An . . . Angel?

By Amy and Diane

***Chapter 8 ***

"Nick Sporelli's car has exploded. Sabrina Duncan is out of the race. A caution has now been issued for the drivers, as medical and clean-up crews head out to the wreck scene," the announcer said over the loud speaker.

Francine had been standing with Bobby, Doug, Don, and Kris when the explosion rocked the stadium. Out of instinct, she looked up into the stands to see Lee running into the aisle to head down to the pits, and a man grabbing Kelly. Lee had been so intent on running down to check on Amanda he did not see the second man come up behind him.

As Kris, Doug, and Bobby raced out onto the field to meet up with the medics, Francine grabbed Don and ran out to the parking lot.

They reached the parking lot just in time to see Richard knock Lee out with the barrel of his gun and toss him into the back of a white van. 

Looking around for a vehicle to follow them, she spotted the Governor's black sedan.

"Guess that is as inconspicuous as we're going to get," she mumbled to herself. Then realizing she didn't possess the keys, "Damn, I hope it's unlocked."

As they reached the driver's door, she sighed in relief that Lee had, in his earlier haste, forgotten to lock the door.

Francine quickly got in and began working on getting the car started. "I didn't plan on having to hot-wire a car. I just had my nails done."

Don just looked at her and shook his head. He watched as the van pulled out of the parking lot.

Within seconds Francine had the engine started.

"They headed left out of the lot," he informed Francine, as he hopped into the passenger seat.

Buckling in, she stepped on the gas and headed in pursuit of the van. As she turned left out of the lot, they spotted the van four cars up.

Keeping their distance, they followed the van through the streets of Monterey. After about ten minutes, and almost losing sight of the van twice, they reached an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.

Francine passed the van, watching as one of the brothers carried Kelly and the other dragged Lee into the warehouse. She pulled around the corner and parked the sedan out of sight.

"Don, I want you to run across the street and stay hidden. Keep an eye on things and make sure no one leaves. If they do leave, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, follow them."

"But what do I do if they do leave?" Don turned a concerned face to Francine.

"Take note of which direction they go in, but as long as they don't take Kelly or Lee with them, we should be fine," she replied, and then added, "and DO NOT go in after them, I will be back shortly with reinforcements. Do I make myself clear?"

Don nodded as he got out of the car. Francine watched him find a spot across the street in a darkened entranceway to hide, before tearing off and heading back to the track.

**********

Kris, Doug and Bobby had reached Amanda's overturned car shortly after the medics. They stood back and watched the rescue crews. It took about ten minutes for them to pull Amanda's unconscious form from her car.

As soon as they had her on a stretcher, Kris ran too her side. "Is she going to be alright?" she asked one of the medics.

"It appears she has suffered a minor head injury, and a few scrapes and bruises, but she will be just fine."

Doug, who was standing behind Kris, let out a sigh of relief.

"Come on, kiddo, snap out if it," Bobby spoke in a concerned voice, as he stood beside Kris.

"Mmm…is Nick okay?" Amanda moaned, as she slowly opened her eyes. Looking around she noticed the half-burnt car that was Nick Sporelli's.

"Sabrina, you will never stop amazing me," Kris stated. "No matter what happens to you, your first thoughts are always on someone else. Even if that someone else had just tried to kill you." Leaning down she placed a kiss on Sabrina's forehead.

Amanda glanced at the people standing around her. She suddenly became aware of the faces that were not there. "Where's Lee?"

"I don't know," Doug replied. "I noticed that other blonde grab Don and run out of here as if the fire was in the parking lot and not on the race track."

Kris turned to look at Doug, and then up in the stands. She glanced around and saw Francine running towards them.

"They have Lee and Kelly," Francine gasped out the minute she was within earshot.

"Who does? The Peterson brothers?" Kris asked, even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

Amanda had sat herself upright on the stretcher the minute she heard Francine's words.

"Yeah, Don and I followed them to an abandoned warehouse, about ten miles from here. I left Don on lookout. I just hope he's better at staying put than some other people I know," Francine finished, looking directly at Amanda.

Amanda was now standing up, and ignoring Francine's comment, she declared, "Well, what are we standing around here for, let's go rescue them. It's probably where they have Bosley too."

"Where do you think you're going?" Doug and Bobby both asked simultaneously.

"You don't think I am going to sit here when my friends are in trouble and I can help, do you?" Amanda retorted.

Just then a female voice called out, "Sabrina Duncan, you scared the shit out of me!"

They all turned to look at Jill.

"Jill, what are you doing here, shouldn't you be staying in line with the other cars?" Amanda turned a worried look at her friend

"Not when one of my closest friends just overturned her car!"Jill replied, as she came up and wrapped Amanda in a hug. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"

"I promise." Amanda returned the hug. "Jill, we have to get moving. Francine followed the Petersons to an abandoned warehouse. They have Kelly and Lee."

"Who's Francine?" Jill asked, looking around at the small crowd.

Francine rolled her eyes and shook her head. "For the thirtieth time today, I am. Now, Am…Sabrina, you are not going and that is final."

"Francine, don't get all high and mighty with me. Lee has stuck his neck out way too many times for me, and so have Kelly and Bosley, for that matter. I am going, enough said."

The others looked at each other as they watched this exchange.

"For the last time, no. You are not a qualified agent and furthermore, you are in no condition to help anybody," Francine said one more time, only this time she added more of an air of seniority to her words.

Amanda steadied herself, using Jill for support. "Look, this is not open for debate. I am fine, and the longer we stand here, the more time is running out."

Jill decided to step in. "Look I don't know who you think you are," she calmly stated, "but I do know that Sabrina is one fine detective. She can hold her own."

"Not to mention, she can be quite stubborn," Kris added. "If I know Bri, she won't stay behind anyway, she'll find a way to follow us."

"Since we now have that settled, let's go." Amanda put an arm around Jill's waist and the two walked towards the parking lot.

Kris just shrugged and turned to follow them.

Bobby and Doug watched as a very frustrated Francine trailed behind.

***Chapter 9***

Kelly tried to focus her eyes on the source of the light in the room. She looked down at her hands to see they were firmly secured by handcuffs. As her eyes became accustomed to the dim light of the candle, she pushed herself off the floor using the wall for support.

"Lee, are you in here?" When there was no reply she added, "Where in the hell am I?"

She brought her hands to the side of her head, trying to ease the pain the chloroform had caused. She looked around the faintly lit room for anything to pick the lock of her handcuffs. She searched the drawers of the only piece of furniture in the room. Kelly stopped digging through the desk when she heard the sound of the doorknob turning.

"Here's your bodyguard, love. I don't think he will do you much good now." Bryant laughed, as he and his brother threw Lee's limp body to the floor.

"What do you want?" Kelly asked, as she tried to keep her voice steady.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about that. Just hope your daddy cares enough about you to give us the money we are going to demand for you." Bryant turned the corner of his mouth up to a half smile and narrowed his eyes.

Richard remained quiet, as he checked to make sure her handcuffs were secure. The brothers left the room and locked the door behind them. Kelly listened, as she heard the extra board of wood slide into place on the outside of the door. 

"Wonderful, not only are we locked in, but they boarded the damn thing up!" Kelly exclaimed, as she looked over at Lee.

"Lee, wake up!" Kelly walked over to his motionless body. "Come on, Scarecrow. Wake your butt up." Kelly bent down by his side, and pushed at his shoulders.

"Mmm...Did you get a look a that guy who blind-sided me?" Lee moaned, as he allowed his eyes to slowly adjust to the dim light.

"Not yet, but we will. Are you alright?" Kelly asked, as she helped Lee into a sitting position.

Lee went to rub the back of his head where the butt of Bryant's gun had landed. "Damn!" Lee hissed, as he discovered that handcuffs confined his hands behind his back.

He looked down at the collar of his shirt hoping to find his trusty half rake only to discover that he had not placed it in his new shirt. "Why in the hell, of all days, did I pick this shirt to wear?" Lee grumbled, as he pulled himself into an upright position.

"What?" Kelly asked, confused by Lee's comment.

"I don't have my lock pick."

"Oh. I guess all you spies carry one with you huh?" Kelly asked. She then noticed the drying blood on his shirt. "Are you hurt bad?"

"No, I'll just have a lump on my head for a week or two. You OK?"

"Yeah. But I do have one question, Lee. Did I enjoy the party that I went too? My head feels like I did." Kelly tried to smile at Lee.

"Sorry, no party for us." Lee leaned against her to pull himself up.

"Do you know where we are?" Kelly asked.

"Looks like some type of warehouse."

"I guess its better than some of the accommodations I've had to endure in the past," Kelly replied, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Lee forced his sore muscles to cooperate, as he began to search the room for something to unlock their handcuffs. "We have got to get out of this damn place. I have to make sure that Amanda is alright! God, she could be dead for all I know!"

"I've already looked, Lee. There is nothing here that'll work."

"It couldn't hurt to look again." Lee said, shrugging his shoulders and continued his search.

"Did you see any sign of Bosley?" Kelly asked.

"I didn't see him, but I overheard Bryant telling Richard that he had to take their other guest dinner after they were done with me. He said it might be his 'last meal'. Then Richard started bitching that he had to go back out again to get something for him and bring it back here. That's when Bryant changed the subject and started talking about how their efforts to rid the competition of Amanda had been done in vain, because Jill left the track and some underdog won. I said a few choice words and received a few extra blows for my outburst," Lee explained.

"They must have him in another part of the warehouse," Kelly surmised.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So that's her real name," Kelly asked, as she rubbed her shoulder across the dirty window.

"Who?" Lee asked.

"Amanda."

"Yeah. I guess I'm not very good at keeping secrets from you, am I?" Lee said, as he walked over to the window.

"Her secret is safe with me. She's fine, Lee. Sabrina, I mean, Amanda, is one of the strongest women I know. She has made it out of more traps, kidnappings… well, just about any kind of trouble the imagination can come up with." Kelly tried to reassure him.

"Yeah, she does have a knack for finding trouble, but somehow she always manages to get out of it."

"You really do love her don't you?" Kelly asked, as she looked into his eyes.

"Can you see anything out that window?" Lee asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Not much. Just an empty storage area and… two really big…Pit Bulls!" Kelly exclaimed, as she rubbed the window to see clearer.

"Yeah, I already met Oscar and Brutus. I think they were hoping that Richard would feed me to them for dinner!" Lee gazed out the window.

"I guess busting the window out is not an option." Kelly shrugged her shoulders.

"Not unless I want to be the main course and you desert," Lee said calmly, as he began to pace the room.

"So, do you have any bright ideas?" Kelly asked, following Lee's movement.

"Well, we don't have many options. One, we could try to break through the door and take our chances with the dogs. Two, we could try to find something to unlock these handcuffs and try to overpower Bryant and Richard when they come back. Or three, we can hope that Francine shows the rest of the bunch the list of properties the Peterson brothers own and wait for them to come and rescue us." Lee returned to Kelly's side at the window.

"None of your suggestions make me want to jump with joy, but I don't think that we can just wait for someone to come to our rescue." Kelly smiled at Lee.

"Nope." Lee continued his search for something to open their bonds.

"You avoided my earlier question." Kelly continued to look out the window at the hovering dogs.

"What question?" Lee asked, never looking up from his task.

"Alright, Lee. If you want to play that game, let's start with a simple question. Mmm…What type of life does Amanda have now?" Kelly asked, as she slid back down the wall to the floor.

"There isn't much more for me to tell you. You already know that she has two sons, Phillip and Jamie. Then she has her mother, Dotty. They all live together in a suburban neighborhood. Not to mention that you already know that she has worked with me for the past three years." Lee continued his search.

"Do you love her?" Kelly asked.

"Yes, I do. With all my heart and soul." Lee looked at Kelly.

"So why are you so afraid to let everyone know? Don't you like her kids?"

"It's not her kids, exactly, they don't even know that I exist." Lee turned his attention back to the contents of the drawer.

"Why?" Kelly asked.

"It's just safer that way," Lee mumbled. He really didn't want to continue this conversation.

"Safer for them, or for you?" Kelly asked.

Lee stopped his search and looked at her. "It's complicated."

"I see."

"What do you see?" Lee walked over to her.

"You're afraid," Kelly said point blankly.

Lee remained quiet as he pondered her words.

"Why are you so scared?" Kelly asked.

"I have never felt this strongly about anyone. I guess I'm not sure how to handle it. Shit, Kelly. What if I don't ever get to tell her how important she is to me? What if I never get to tell her that I want her to spend the rest of our lives together? I never told her that I want her to be Mrs. Amanda Stetson. God, what if she seriously injured in that wreck or worse. What if she was…." Lee paused, unable to finish the thought of her being gone from his life forever. 

"Lee, let's stop wondering about what-ifs and get the hell out of here. There has to be some way to get this damn door open." Kelly stood and started to jiggle the doorknob.

"You're right, Kelly. No use in crying over spilled milk, if we don't know it's been spilled," Lee said, regaining his composure.

'You do this type of stuff for a living. Think, Lee, think!' Lee mumbled to himself, as he continued to look around the room for a solution to their problem.

"You're not helping matters by wearing out the floor!" Kelly exclaimed. She was becoming dizzy watching Lee pace back and forth in front of her.

"It's how I do my best thinking!" Lee exclaimed back.

"I do my best thinking in a hot tub with some handsome man washing my back." Kelly smiled.

"That's it." Lee flashed her a bright smile, as an idea came to him. He walked in front of her with his legs spread and his abdomen pushed out in front of her.

"What?" Kelly asked, as she looked at Lee with a frown on her face.

"Take off my belt," Lee demanded.

"What!?! I didn't mean…" Kelly eyes grew wide with shock.

"Take the belt off and we could use the buckle to pick the locks. Amanda did this when we were in a crunch one time before. Now take off my belt!" Lee explained. He was starting to grow impatient.

"Oh!" Kelly stood and did as she was asked.

"Now use the belt clip to unlock my cuffs." Lee turned around so she could reach his hands.

"Ouch!" Lee exclaimed, as Kelly missed the lock and dug the metal into his arm.

"Sorry, hold still. I have just about…got it!" Kelly unlocked his right cuff.

"Great, now get the other one." Lee turned to face her as she worked on his left cuff.

"Much better." Lee rubbed his wrists that were now free of the handcuffs. "Your turn." Lee took the belt from her and picked her locks.

"Amanda really is quite resourceful." Kelly smiled up at Lee.

"Yeah, that she is!" Lee turned a brilliant smile in Kelly's direction at the mention of Amanda's name.

"What now?" Kelly asked.

"Figure out how to get past our guards." Lee pointed at the two slobbering dogs.

**********

"Don. It's Bri." Amanda whispered, as she placed her small hand over his mouth.

Don slightly struggled at Amanda's touch and then relaxed when he saw Kris, Jill and Francine approach.

"Hey! Where the hell have you guys been?" Don asked, as he tried to control his shaky voice.

"We stopped for dinner. We were hungry!" Francine hissed, sarcastically.

Amanda looked up at the setting sun. "Alright, everybody. Stop the bickering. Daylight is burning and we don't have much time." 

"What's been going on since Francine left?" Kris asked, as she stooped beside Don.

"Richard left for about 30 minutes and then came back with what looked like takeout. Other than that it's been pretty quiet." Don explained, as he looked back and forth at the three women.

"Here's the plan," Amanda said, as she motioned for her accomplices to huddle around her.

"What do you have in mind?" Jill asked, crouching beside Amanda.

"I think our best bet is to send Francine in to distract them. They don't know her and I feel sure she can distract them with her smile." Amanda said, turning to face Francine. "Francine you take the sedan to the front of the building. Act like you're car broke down and need a strong man to help you, if you get my drift." Amanda smiled at Francine.

"Don't worry. I'm good at causing a distraction." Francine gave her a mischievous smile. "What are you three going to do?"

"Kris and Jill are going in the back way. I'll take the front," Amanda said, giving them all a firm look.

"I don't think that is such a great idea," Francine objected.

"I have to agree with her on this one. You've just been in an accident and don't need to play John Wayne all by yourself," Jill said, as she placed her arm around Amanda's shoulder.

"Francine will be at the front with me. She can watch my back. We have made a great team once or twice before and we can do it again today. Only one of us could possibly slip by those two and I need you two to pull up the rear. Just in case our plan out front goes all to pieces," Amanda explained, as she looked to Francine for assurance.

"Yeah, I'll watch her back." Francine nodded at Amanda.

"What about me?" Don asked.

"Stay here. If you see everything go to hell, go get help," Jill replied, as she slapped him on the back

"Good," Don said, relieved that he wouldn't have to face the danger that these four did.

"Francine, you go ahead. We'll hold back and wait until you get their attention." Amanda nodded at Francine.

"Let's do it," Francine said, as she undid the top four buttons of her blouse. "This should get their attention." She smiled at Don's drooling stare.

"Put you eyes back in your head." Kris punched Don in the arm.

"Don't forget about my brother!" Don features turned serious once again.

Jill smiled softly to reassure Don. "How could we forget?" 

All eyes were on Francine as she drove to the front of the building and blew her horn.

**********

Lee stood assessing the window's thickness. "Kelly, I think I can break this thing if I get a running start at it."

"If you can break it and not bleed to death, what are you going to do about the dogs?" Kelly asked, as she pointed through the window at the beasts resting peacefully only a few feet away.

"I think I can make it to those boxes over there and make it to the rafters. That will give you a chance to slip out the front in all the commotion and go for help," Lee explained, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What about the Peterson brothers?" Kelly asked, not liking his brilliant idea.

"I'm sure when they see me running and the dogs hot on my tail they'll think you are ahead of me. You'll make it out. It's really our only choice. If we wait here, they're going to find out we're not who we say we are and kill us anyway." Lee shrugged, as he looked at Kelly's concerned face.

"Amanda would kill me if anything happened to you. I think we had better make other arrangements." Kelly shook her head.

"We don't have time. Besides, since Jill didn't finish the race, they don't have much use for Bosley now. I'm going to have to find him before they decide to tie up all the loose ends." Lee pulled his left hand from his pocket and ran it through his hair.

"Alright, Lee, I don't like it but I guess we're going to have to make a go of it." Kelly patted Lee on the arm and stood back, as he went to the other side of the room to get a running start.

"Wait!" Kelly shouted, as she jumped in front of Lee's path. The two collided causing them to fall to the floor.

"Why in the hell did you do that?" Lee asked, as he helped Kelly stand up.

"Richard is leaving the warehouse. Look!" Kelly pulled Lee to the window.

"This might be our chance. I'll give him a few minutes to get out of sight and then bust out the window. One bad guy to deal with is better than two." Lee watched Richard leave.

"Here I go, on the count of three." Lee backed up against the door. "One…two…three..." He slammed his body against the glass causing it shatter.

Jumping through the opening and rolling into a standing position, he was suddenly faced with the white teeth of two angry dogs. 

"Oh, shit!" Lee yelled, as he took off across the warehouse floor at breakneck speed.

Kelly climbed out of the window and made a beeline for the front door. Lee reached the boxes just as one of the dogs grabbed his pant leg. Lee managed to pull away with his skin intact, and climbed the boxes. Kris and Jill entered the back of the warehouse just as Lee had started his climb.

Jill pointed her gun at the dogs and fired. Her shot missed them by inches as the dogs turned their attention from Lee and concentrated on the new intruders. 

"Get out of here!" Lee yelled, as his eyes grew wide at the site of the dogs turning their attack on the two women.

Bryant looked out the door of his office to see what all of the commotion was. As his eyes fell upon Kris, Jill and Lee, he pulled out his gun and fled to the room where he was holding Bosley.

"Lee, there's Bryant! Get him! We'll handle this." Kris screamed, as she pointed towards Bryant.

Lee jumped from his position above the floor and took off after Bryant. Kris and Jill headed for the safety of a back room in the warehouse. They slammed the door closed just as the beasts reached them.

Amanda had entered the front of the building as Kelly was leaving it.

"What…" Amanda started to ask, as Kelly pulled her back out of the warehouse and put a finger to her own lips.

Bryant forced Bosley through the opening of the front just as Kelly and Amanda rounded the corner of the door. 

Francine, who was trying to keep Richard occupied, heard the commotion and kicked him in the groin. Giving him a final blow to the head, she caused him to cry out in pain and fall to his knees. 

Kelly ran over to help Francine and grabbed the gun from Richard's waist to hold it over him. 

Bryant jerked Bosley away from the scene and pushed him into their car and took off before anyone realized they were there. 

"Help!" Bosley called out the open window, as the car drove off.

Amanda heard his cry and ran to the driver's side of the black sedan. Francine reacted without thinking and joined her in the passenger side just as Lee was exiting the warehouse. 

"Wait!" Lee called, as Amanda cranked the engine and went in pursuit.

"Fasten your seat belt, Francine," Amanda said, as she buckled hers and pushed the sedan to top speed.

Francine did as she was told. She grabbed the door handle and hung on so tightly that her fingers were turning white. "Amanda, slow this damn thing down!"

Lee cursed as he saw Amanda's car turn the corner. Running his hand through his hair, he went over to help Kelly with Richard.

"Where are Jill and Kris?" Kelly asked, as she reached in her back jean pocket to retrieve the handcuffs used on her earlier.

"They are in the back of the warehouse. Oscar and Brutus have them pinned in a room. They're alright, just trapped." Lee continued to look in the direction Amanda had gone.

"She's a good driver, Lee. She'll catch 'em!" Kelly declared, as she handcuffed Richard.

"I don't know if that is good, or bad," Lee said, as he turned to Kelly.

"Hey where was he taking my brother?" Don asked, as he came out of hiding.

Kelly and Lee shook their heads. 

"Don't worry. Two of the best are going after him." Lee gave Kelly a hopeful smile.

"I told you she was fine." Kelly smiled.

"For now. I had better call the local authorities and get some backup." Lee turned to go back inside the warehouse to find a phone.

"You might want to call animal control. I'm sure Jill and Kris would appreciate it," Kelly laughed, as she pushed Richard back to the ground with her foot.

Lee looked up at the darkening sky. "Please let her come back to me," he whispered, as he entered the warehouse.

**********

"Francine, we're going to hit the city limits soon. You need to shoot out one of his tires." Amanda said, as she rounded a corner causing the back right wheel to leave the ground.

"Damn it, Amanda. You're going to kill us." Francine yelled, as she held herself in place.

"Francine, just do it. The traffic's gonna get heavier soon. If he takes the freeway, a lot of innocent people are going to get hurt," Amanda hissed.

Francine rolled down her window and braced herself on the door. She pulled her gun and aimed. "Shit! Get closer," Francine grumbled when her first shot missed.

Amanda pulled up behind Bryant to give Francine a clear shot. 

"Got him!" Francine exclaimed as she climbed back in.

Bryant's car swerved into a ditch and Amanda swung around him blocking his car from returning to the road. Francine jumped out, her gun in hand, and went to the driver's side. Bryant was slumped across the steering wheel, out like a light.

"Whoever you are, thanks!" Bosley smiled when he saw Francine.

"You're welcome," Francine replied to the man in the passenger seat.

"Thank goodness, you're alright!" Amanda exclaimed, as she opened his door.

"Yeah, I'm just glad I remembered to wear my seatbelt!" Bosley said and then turned his attention to the brunette who had just spoken. "Sabrina! What are you doing here?" Bosley asked. He climbed out of the car and wrapped his arms around Amanda in a warm embrace.

"Saving your butt!" Amanda replied, returning his embrace.

Bosley squeezed her a little tighter. "I'm so glad you're here! I have really missed you!" 

"I've missed you too. I'm just sorry you being kidnapped had to be the reason for our reunion," Amanda teased, pulling apart from his tight hold.

"I'd do it again if that is what it takes to see you, Bri," Bosley laughed.

"Bos!" Amanda scolded.

"I'm just kidding, Bri" He then took a closer look at her and noticed all her cuts and bruises. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Amanda gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a little accident back at the track." 

"You need to be checked out at the hospital. That bump looks nasty," Bosley said, as he lightly touched her forehead.

"I will be okay, Bos. You worry too much," Amanda replied, but smiled at his concern.

"That's like the pot calling the kettle black," Francine mumbled. She was tired and annoyed, but found herself a little in awe with this side of Amanda.

"And who is this lovely lady with you?" Bosley smiled at the frustrated blonde, as he took Amanda's hand in his.

"Same old Bos, always the flirt." Amanda punched him in the side. "This is Francine Desmond. She helped us rescue you."

"Nice to meet you Ms. Desmond." Bosley continued to hold Amanda's hand firmly as he walked to the other side of the car to meet Francine.

"Same here, Mr. Bosely. Now let's get back to the warehouse and pick up Lee and the rest of your bunch," Francine said with a touch of hostility in her voice. 'How many old friends does Amanda have?' Francine wondered, as she opened the door to pull Bryant out.

"Yeah, we need to get back and get Bosley here to a hospital to be checked out," Amanda said, as she helped Francine pull Bryant's unconscious body from the car.

"Sabrina, I am fine. It's you who needs the medical attention," Bosley protested.

"I'll make you a deal, Bos," Amanda began, as they finished loading Bryant into the back seat of the sedan. "If you let the doctors check look you over, I will too."

Bosley smiled. "I know better than to argue with you, Bri. So how did you guys find me?" he asked, as he climbed into the passenger's seat.

"We'll, explain on the way Bos," Amanda replied, as she started towards the driver's side.

"Oh no, you don't! I'll drive!" Francine exclaimed, taking the keys from Amanda, she quickly got into the driver's seat.

Amanda smiled and climbed in the back with Bryant.

***Chapter 10 – conclusion ***

The small group of agents, detectives and civilians gathered in a conference room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel early the next morning. 

"I'm sure glad they didn't make me stay in that place more than one night. Those nurses were absolutely horrid," Bosley complained to the group as he took an open seat in between Jill and Kris.

"You know, Bos, after being held captive for five days, the doctors just wanted to make sure you were OK," Kris said, placing a comforting arm around his shoulder.

Don joined his brother, "I'm just thankful you are alright." 

"I am not alright. Did you know that one of those Amazonian women tried to give me a sponge bath this morning!?!" Bosley gave his brother an exasperated look.

Amanda couldn't help but look at Lee and laugh. "That sounds awfully familiar."

"I don't complain that much," Lee whispered, as he took her hand under the table.

"Oh really?" Amanda gave his hand a slight squeeze.

"I'm just surprised they let you go this morning, Bri. You were pretty shook from that crash," Kelly smiled, as she took her seat across from Amanda.

"I'm supposed to go back for a checkup tomorrow morning before they give me my walking papers, but they seem to think that I will heal just fine with a little rest and TLC," Amanda explained.

"I think I can help out with that," Lee said, as he brought her hand to his lips.

"I'm sure you could, Scarecrow. By the way, Sabrina, what is your codename?" Kelly laughed.

"Francine, come sit here," Amanda blushed at the insinuation and was thankful to see Francine enter the room.

"You're not going to get off of the hook that easily, my friend," Kelly smiled evilly at Amanda.

Francine finished pouring her coffee and took the empty seat beside Amanda. "Am…Sabrina, there is something I want to talk to you about."

Lee released Amanda's hand as his body tensed. "Francine, this might not be the right time or place for…" 

"I just wanted to tell her that I was sorry for thinking she couldn't handle the situation yesterday," Francine explained, as she turned a smug look to Lee. "She's just so full of surprises."

"Francine, it means a lot to me to hear you say that," Amanda smiled warmly at her.

Lee allowed his body to relax at Francine's words. He grinned thankfully towards her and returned his hand back to Amanda's. 

'Amanda is not the only one full of surprises. I know how hard it was for Francine to say those words to Amanda,' Lee thought, as Francine continued her indifferent smile.

"You were pretty terrific on that track yesterday. I just wish you had gone straight to the hospital, instead of playing wonder woman. You could've had serious injuries," Lee said sternly to Amanda.

"You don't sound too grateful that I saved your butt, Scarecrow," Amanda teased.

"I didn't say I wasn't grateful. You just scared the hell out of me is all!" Lee replied, as the smile returned to his face.

"Not to interrupt such an intriguing conversation, but I wanted to congratulate each of you on a job well done," Charlie's voice entered the room via the phone intercom. "Angels, Mr. Stetson, Ms. Desmond."

"Hi, Charlie," the Angel's replied in unison.

"Angels, as usual a terrific job! As for Mr. Stetson and Ms. Desmond, I now know why the President holds 'The Agency' up on a pedestal. You truly are part of the best team around. Well, besides my Angels, of course," Charlie laughed.

Francine looked from Lee to Amanda with a confused frown. "How does he know who I am?" she asked.

Lee just shook his head at her and chuckled.

"I want to thank you all for getting our Bosley safely back and for catching the Peterson brother's as well," Charlie continued.

"Thanks, Charlie," they all said. Francine was still too bewildered to answer.

"You know, Charlie," Bosley started, "it's great to see our girls back together again."

"Now, Bos, don't be going and putting any ideas into Charlie's head," Kelly jumped in laughing.

"Bos, wasn't the only one with that idea, Angels," Charlie added. "I don't suppose…"

"NO, Charlie!" The four women shouted. They all looked at each other and shook their heads as laughter filled the room.

"I'd settle for a reunion every so often, though," Kris stated, as she looked at her partners.

"Only if it doesn't involve danger and intrigue," Jill added.

Amanda grinned as an idea came to mind. "Of course, we _might_ promise to come back _if_ you could break away from your lady friends and take us out for a night on the town."

"Why Sabrina, what ever do you mean?" Charlie asked. Just then a muffled set of giggles, definitely female, came across the line. "On second thought, I guess I'll have to settle for a yearly gathering, then, won't I?" 

"Afraid so, Charlie," Kelly concluded, trying not to chuckle. She looked around at the other three Angels in the room and saw them all stifling laughs, too.

"Well, then, until we meet again. Goodbye, Angels."

"Goodbye, Charlie," everyone called out, and once more the voice on the other end of the phone was gone.

"I don't think I will ever get used to that," Amanda said.

"What's that, Bri?" Kris asked.

"Charlie's uncanny knack of knowing everything," Amanda replied.

"Yeah it is a little unsettling when you've never even met the man," Jill added.

"You mean you've never met this, Charlie?" Francine asked. She was even more bewildered now, than before.

Hearing someone else say it caused everyone in the room to burst out in laughter once again.

"Well, ladies, it has been a real pleasure to meet you all, and you too, Mr. Stetson. I want to thank you for all your help," Don stated, as he gave his brother a pat on the back.

"I think I'm going to take my brother and have him give me a tour of this wonderful town. We have a lot of catching up to do." Bosley stood to leave with his brother.

Amanda released Lee's hand and stood to give Bosley a hug. "I've missed you."

"Same here, Sabrina." Bosley tightly embraced her. "For that matter, the same goes for all of you. Let's say we all get together soon and talk over old times." He smiled at the three other Angels.

"Sounds good to me, Bos," Kelly said, as she stood to join them. "Let's not let another decade go by, ok?" Kelly looked towards Amanda. 

Amanda nodded and extended her hand for Kelly to join in their hug.

"We agree," Jill and Kris simultaneously replied, as they, too, joined the group hug.

Lee stood back watching the exchange. He knew he was a part of Amanda's present and hopefully her future, but he felt a pang of jealousy that he'd never be a part of her past.

After the group hug ended, Don and Bosley left the conference room.

"Well, Sis, shall we go grab a bite to eat?" Jill asked Kris.

"That would be great!" Kris replied. "Would you guys like to join us?"

"No, I think I'd better head back to L.A. I have a job I need to get back to," Kelly said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess we should head back to D.C. and give our reports to Billy." Francine looked at Lee.

"Francine, I'm not sure I'd feel right leaving my partner with no one to see her safely back. Besides someone needs to make sure she sees the doctor tomorrow," Lee added. "I'm sure Billy will understand. Why don't you just head back without us?"

Kelly smiled mischievously at Lee and Amanda. She gave Amanda a quick wink and turned to look at Francine. "Ms. Desmond, could I offer you a ride to the airport?"

"Yes, thank you," Francine answered, as she gave Lee a hard stare. "You know Billy isn't going to be happy when he gets all the details of this case."

"Francine, when you get back, just give him your report of the events that happened after your arrival, and nothing more, ok?" Lee began through tight lips.

"He is going to want…"

"Sabrina and I will fill him in on all the other information when we get back," Lee quickly added. He didn't want Francine to spill the beans about Amanda's past to Billy. Amanda had said she would come clean and it was best for her to be the one to do it.

"Fine, Lee, but you owe me. Big time, both of you," Francine said, glancing once at Amanda before storming out of the room. Lee was relieved she had caught his meaning.

Amanda turned to give Kelly another hug. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Bri. Just keep in touch this time, no more disappearing acts, okay? Oh, and don't forget to let me know how your snacking goes!" Kelly laughed, as she pulled away from the embrace.

"I promise," she said, as she waved goodbye.

"What was that all about?" Kris asked, coming over to hug Amanda.

"Oh, nothing. It's just Francine," Lee answered, "She can get a little too full of herself sometimes."

Amanda chuckled and looked over at him. "I don't think Francine will ever change."

Kris shook her head, "No, I was referring to what Kelly said."

Redness crept into her cheeks again, as Amanda looked over at Lee. "Oh, that. It's sort of a private joke," she choked out.

"Well, I guess we should head out too," Jill added. She may not have known the true meaning, but she was sure it was a good one. "Goodbye, Bri, Lee. Don't be strangers." She gave Amanda and then Lee a hug before heading out of the room with Kris behind her.

"So, Scarecrow, now that we're all alone, what are we going to do with ourselves?" Amanda asked, as she placed her arms around his neck.

Lee leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I don't know, Angel. What do you suggest?"

"I hear Monterey has some great wine country. We could explore and then, well, Charlie arranged for me to stay at the hotel an extra night." She smiled seductively and then gave him another more passionate kiss.

Lee pulled her close to him, as his body quickly began to react to her kiss. "I like the way you think, Mrs. King, but we could just stay here. I think we should get you started on that TLC the doctor ordered." 

"Oh no, you don't, buster! I want to see some of this wonderful town while we're here." Amanda playfully pulled out of his embrace.

"Yes, ma'am! Let's go see about renting a car for the day." Lee released his hold and took her hand as they headed for the door.

**********

"Thank you for a wonderful day, Lee," Amanda smiled at him, as he parked the car in front of the hotel.

"We should do this more often." Lee gently caressed her face with his hand.

Placing her hand over his, Amanda replied, "What, sightseeing?" 

"No. I meant spend time together. Alone." Lee closed the distance between them and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Amanda looked into Lee's passion filled eyes. "I agree." 

He reluctantly pulled away from her. "I guess I had better get back to Governor Garrison's mansion and pick up my luggage." 

"Where are you going to stay tonight?" Amanda asked, as she began to blush.

"I'm sure I can get a room here. I'm not going to let you miss your appointment in the morning," Lee laughed.

"Oh," Amanda quietly said, as she turned her eyes to look out the window.

Lee watched her for a few minutes, as he tried to read her emotions. 'Is she disappointed that I'm staying or that I didn't suggest staying with her,' Lee thought, as he got out of the car to open the door for Amanda.

"Amanda, do you want to go to dinner tonight?" Lee asked, hoping she would accept his subtle suggestion.

"I'm really tired, Lee. I think maybe I'll just order in." Amanda took hold of the hand he was offering to help her out of the car.

"Do you want me to walk you to your room?" Lee asked, as he closed the car door. He was a little disappointed, but figured she would probably want some time alone. It had been a rough couple of days.

"I'll be fine." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and turned towards the hotel entrance.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you in the morning then. Bye, Bri," Lee teased, as he went back to the driver's side of the car.

She sighed. 'What am I afraid of?' she thought to herself. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she turned back around. "Lee."

He stopped opening the car door and looked at her. "Yeah." 

"We could order dinner in for two," Amanda suggested while she fidgeted with her heart pendant.

Lee took notice of her sudden nervousness. "That would be nice, Amanda. What time should I swing by?" His smile told her how happy he was that she had extended the invitation.

"How about 7 o'clock? Casual dress for this occasion, Scarecrow," Amanda laughed and started into the hotel towards her room. She was suddenly as giddy as a school girl going out on her first date.

"See you then." As he called after her, Lee could feel his heart leaping into his throat. 'Alright, Stetson. This is your chance. Don't screw it up,' Lee mumbled to himself, as he put the car in drive and headed to the Governor's mansion.

Amanda dropped her purse on the table by the door as she walked into her room. She was tired, but at the same time filled with excitement by the fact that she was going to be alone with Lee this evening. She smiled as she realized that they would actually be alone together without worrying about the normal interruptions of home. 

"Oh, my Gosh! Mother and the boys must be worried sick," Amanda exclaimed, as she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mother," Amanda replied. "Are the boys still awake?"

"Amanda dear, are you alright? We have been so worried about you," Dotty asked.

"I'm fine, Mother. I'm just a little tired from running from location to location," Amanda remarked, as she fell back onto the waiting mattress.

"Were you able to find some good locations for your next documentary?" Dotty asked, as she looked out the window to see if she could locate the boys.

"Yes, Mother. We found quite a few spots and I will be coming home at the very latest tomorrow evening." Amanda rubbed the side of her head to relieve the headache she felt coming. "Mother, I've had a long day and would really love to talk with Philip and Jamie." 

"Oh, alright, Amanda. I love you and we'll see you tomorrow," Dotty said, as she put the phone down to call the boys in from outside.

"Hi, Mom," Jamie said, as he picked up the phone.

"Hi, Sweetheart. I just wanted to say goodnight to you and Phillip."

"Mom, guess what!"

"What, Sweetheart?"

"Philip and I were watching some car race on T.V. yesterday morning and one of the drivers looked just like you."

Amanda's heart stopped. "Really, Jamie? That's incredible," she stuttered out.

"Yeah, but Dad made us turn it off and go outside and play basketball, so we never got to watch it."

Amanda sighed in relief. She was grateful for Joe's quick interference. It would have been too much for her if her sons had seen the crash. "I miss you Jamie, I'll see you tomorrow. Let me say goodnight to your brother."

"Goodnight, Mom," Jamie said, as he handed the phone off to his brother.

"Hey, Mom! We've missed you. When are you coming home?" Phillip asked.

"Tomorrow, Phillip. I just wanted to say goodnight and tell you that I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom. Did you want to talk to Dad?" Phillip asked.

"Not tonight, Sweetheart. I'll see him tomorrow." Amanda didn't want to discuss the race with Joe right now. She knew it would be the first thing he would ask her about as soon as the boys were out of listening range.

"Okay, Mom. We'll see you tomorrow night," Phillip said, as he hung up the phone.

Amanda felt her body giving in to the whirlwind of events that had happened in the past three days. She pulled herself from the bed and decided that a shower would be just what the doctor ordered.

**********

"I need a room for tonight," Lee told the reservation attendant at the hotel.

"How many in your party?" the young man asked.

Lee thought for a moment. "One, but I would like a suite please."

"I see," the attendant said, giving Lee a mischievous smile.

Lee ignored him, as he made mental preparations for the evening ahead. 

"Thank you." Lee took the key from the attendant, as the bellhop took his luggage and headed up to his room.

"I need to make some arrangements for dinner and flowers. Would you be able to take care of that for me?" Lee handed the bellhop a $100 bill as they exited the elevator.

"Sure, sir. What can I do for you?" The anxious bellhop asked as he shoved the bill in his pocket.

Lee quickly jotted down a list of items. Double-checking to make sure everything was there, he passed it over to the young man.

Smiling to himself as the bellboy left, 'This is going to be an evening that neither Sabrina Duncan nor Amanda King will ever forget,' Lee thought, as he discarded his clothes and climbed into the shower.

**********

Amanda felt much better after her hot shower. She pulled on her robe and headed for the bedroom. She was about to lie down on the bed for a quick nap, when a knock came at her door.

"Yes," Amanda asked the young bellhop, as she opened the door a crack.

"I have a special delivery for Sabrina Duncan," the bellhop answered.

"What is it?" Amanda asked, as she opened the door all the way allowing him to enter.

The bellhop entered caring a vase of pink roses. 

"Who are they from?" Amanda asked, as she looked for a card.

The bellhop smiled, as he turned to leave. "The gentleman wishes to remain anonymous." 

Amanda went to retrieve her purse. "Wait, I have something for you." 

"It has all been taken care of, Ma'am," the bellhop said, as he slipped out the door.

Amanda walked over to the beautiful flowers and inhaled their fragrance. She didn't need a card to know that they were from Lee. She picked one from the vase and carried it to her bed. She suddenly remembered how tired she was and decided she would try and catch few moments of rest.

**********

Lee looked into the mirror approvingly, as he straightened his tuxedo bowtie. He glanced at his watch and decided it was time to check that his orders had been followed. As he picked up the phone, there was a knock at his door.

"Were you able to do as I requested?" Lee asked, as he opened the door for the bellhop.

"Yes, sir. It should all be on schedule." The bellhop smiled up at Lee, as he handed him the large package he was carrying.

"Good," Lee said, taking the package from the young man.

"Would you like me to deliver this for you?" the bellhop offered.

Lee sat the box on the bed and opened it to verify its contents. Lee pulled a note from his breast pocket and handed it to the bellhop. "Yes. Please deliver this package and note. I want you to wait for her response and return with her answer." Lee handed the package back over to the young man.

"Yes, sir." The bellhop turned to leave with his mission in hand.

'Just one more thing to accomplish,' Lee thought, as he picked up the phone and dialed the front desk.

"Hello, this is Lee Stetson. I need for you to hold all calls for the remainder of the evening. I do not wish to be disturbed, under any circumstances!" Lee firmly stated.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Stetson."

Lee hung up the phone and walked over to the bar to make a stiff drink. He needed something to calm his nerves. He felt like a teenager on his first date as his thoughts drifted to the idea of having Amanda all to himself. He took his now full glass and walked out to the balcony. The warm summer breeze caressed his face, as he looked out over the beautiful city.

"To love." Lee raised his glass towards the sky, as he watched the sun begin to set on the horizon.

**********

Amanda was awakened by the sound of a knock on her door. She stretched her sore muscles and stood to answer it.

"Ms. Duncan. I have a package for you," the bellhop said, as Amanda once again opened the door for him.

Amanda nodded as she moved aside, allowing him to enter and place the package on the bed.

"Who is this from?" Amanda asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"The same as before, Ms. Duncan. My lips are sealed." The bellboy blushed slightly, as he turned to give her the note.

Amanda slowly walked over to the bed and opened the package. She knew immediately who had sent it too her, as she pulled the silky black gown from the box.

She sat on the edge of the bed and opened the note the boy had just handed her.

"I am supposed to wait for an answer," the bellboy said quietly.

Amanda smiled at his obvious nervousness. She felt her heartbeat quicken as she read the contents. 

'I would like to request the honor of your company tonight. 

Please join me in room 817 at 8 o'clock. 

Love,

Scarecrow.' 

She turned to the bellhop and said, "Tell Mr. Stetson that I would be honored." A wave of excitement rushed over her, as she watched the young man flee the room.

Amanda tenderly picked up the dress and held it against her chest. 'This may be the beginning of something wonderful,' she thought, as she turned to the bathroom to prepare for the evening.

**********

Lee nervously paced the room, glancing at his watch. It was already 8:05 and still no sign of Amanda.

'Maybe the bellhop misunderstood. Maybe she's changed her mind,' Lee was pondering nervously, when a knock at the door brought him from his thoughts.

Lee quickly glanced around the room. Satisfied with the arrangements, he went to open the door. His eyes grew wide, as he smiled approvingly at the sight before him.

"Hello," Amanda said.

"Good evening," Lee choked out as he held the door open for her to enter.

Amanda looked around at the candle-lit room. "It's beautiful, Lee," she whispered, as she glanced back at him.

Lee sighed, never taking his eyes from her. "That it is, Amanda."

"I meant the room, Lee." Amanda replied, as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

"I know, but I meant you." Lee closed the distance between them and claimed her lips with his. He felt Amanda's arms wrap around his neck and her fingers stroke the back of his hair. He pulled her closer, as he began to caress the bare skin of her back. Her lips parted inviting him to taste the love she had for him. He eagerly accepted the invitation, as he felt his own body tremble with the passion this woman could arouse with just the touch of her lips.

'Take things slow, we have all evening.' Lee thought, as he reluctantly pulled away from her.

Amanda let out a small moan of protest, as Lee took her hands from his neck and led her to the table.

"Are you hungry?" Lee asked, as he opened the bottle of wine.

"A little. It smells delicious," Amanda whispered, as she continued to take in Lee's intense gaze.

"It's Beef Wellington," Lee teased, lifting the cover for her to see.

"Lee, you didn't have to go to all of this trouble."

Lee finished opening the bottle of wine and turned his attention to her. "I know I didn't, but tonight is special. You are special."

"Lee…"

"Shhh…" Lee placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Would you like a glass of wine?" he asked, as he held up the bottle.

"Yes, thank you, Lee." Amanda placed her hand on his back, as he poured.

Lee pulled her chair out for her to be seated and flashed her a brilliant smile, "My lady." 

Amanda smiled warmly back at him, as he scooted her chair under the table.

As they partook of the delicious meal Lee had arranged, the conversation centered mostly on the previous case and some of 'Sabrina Duncan's' past adventures. 

"I don't believe it, Amanda. That just isn't possible," Lee laughed at one of her outlandish stories.

"What's so hard to believe about me being a cheerleader?" She stared at him. "I already told you I used to be on the cheerleading squad in High School."

"I believe that one. It's trying to picture you in the middle of a bunch of UFO fanatics," he chuckled.

Amanda laughed with him, "That one was an interesting case." 

"It seems we both have stories to entertain ourselves with now." He smiled seductively towards her.

Amanda finished her wine. "Maybe."

"You didn't eat much." Lee said, as he noticed her half full plate.

"Everything is truly wonderful, Lee. I guess the past few days have just taken their toll." Amanda shrugged her shoulders. "But the wine is delicious."

Lee stood and offered her his arm. "I have dessert waiting on the balcony."

"Mmm, That sounds nice." Amanda accepted his arm and turned her attention to the balcony doors that stood open allowing the summer breeze to blow in.

Amanda sighed, as she took in the beauty of the twinkling lights of the city below them. "I had forgotten how beautiful California could be," she whispered, as Lee wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Do you miss it?" Lee asked, with a hint of worry in his voice.

Amanda turned to face him. "No, Lee. I love my new life. Sure, I miss Kelly and Bosley, Jill and Kris, and even Charlie, but I am truly happy with the way things have turned out." She smiled, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"You look beautiful tonight, Amanda."

"Thank you, Lee. Some wonderful man sent me this." Amanda looked at him with laughter in her eyes. Who would have believed three years ago, that she would be standing in his arms on a balcony in California, sharing a romantic evening?

"He must have good taste." Lee leaned down and brushed her lips with his.

"The best!" Amanda pulled gently at the back of his head to return his teasing kiss.

They stood silent in their embrace, both lost in their own thoughts. Amanda tilted her head up to look into his hazel eyes. 'He looks the same as he did three years ago, all dressed in his tuxedo. Except this time he's not informing me he's a spy.' She giggled at the memory.

Pulled from his own thoughts, Lee asked, "What?" 

"Nothing." Amanda said, as she leaned her head back on his chest. Lee began to gently stroke her hair, as he watched the city below.

'He may look like the same man, but he is not. Just as I am not the same woman.' Amanda thought, as she continued to gaze at the city below. "How things change," she said aloud.

Lee pulled them apart slightly and turned to look at the beautiful face of the woman who had changed his life. "What's that?"

"I was just thinking about my past, and us. We've come a long way, haven't we?"

"Yes, we have. We have a quite a future ahead of us as well. We have a lot to talk about when we get home." Lee brushed his lips across her forehead.

"We do?" Amanda tilted her head slightly.

"Yes, we do." Lee nodded his head.

"Would you like a glass of champagne to celebrate the past and the future?" Lee asked, as he left her to open the bottle of champagne.

Amanda laughed as bubbles flowed out over the opening in the bottle and onto Lee's tuxedo.

"Lee, let me help you with that," she said, walking over to join him.

"No need," Lee said, as he wiped the champagne from his clothes. He then poured their glasses full and handed a glass to Amanda.

"To the future," Amanda raised her glass to Lee.

"To our future." Lee returned the toast.

"May I have this dance?" He held out his hand for her and she eagerly accepted it. He led her to a corner of the balcony and pushed 'play' on a nearby cassette player.

They wrapped their arms around each other and were soon swaying to the music. As the words began, the meaning behind them touched Amanda's heart.

'Love I get so lost, sometimes

Days pass and the emptiness fills my heart

When I want to run away

I drive off in my car

But whichever way I go

I come back to the place you are

All my instincts, they return

And the grand façade, so soon will burn

Without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside

In your eyes

The light the heat

In your eyes

I am complete'

"Oh, Lee." No other words could express what she was feeling.

"I want this to be our song, Amanda." Lee pulled back to look into her beautiful brown eyes. "This song was made for us, it explains exactly how I feel about you." He brought his hand up to gently brush away the single tear that was falling down her cheek.

She brought her hand up and placed it over his. "It's perfect," she whispered. "I couldn't be any happier than I am right now. I love you more than I ever thought I could love any man."

Realizing the true meaning behind those words, he knew that his worries about her past were gone forever. "I love you too, Amanda King."

Their eyes met again, and in them they saw the love they felt for each other. Lee pulled her to him and captured her lips with his. The passion that ignited between them was so powerful, a cataclysmic earthquake would not have been able to tear them apart.

Breathlessly, their lips parted. Lee began to trail kisses down her bare neck and gently slid the strap of her dress down over her left shoulder.

"Mmm…," Amanda moaned, as he found the sensitive spot on her shoulder.

Afraid he might be rushing things, Lee started to pull back.

Amanda tightened her hold on his shoulder. "No, Lee. I want this, too." Moving her hands across his chest, she reached up and undid his tie, letting it drop to the floor.

Lee resumed his trail of kisses until his lips had found their way to the valley of her breasts.

"Lee," Amanda gasped, as she ran her fingers through his hair. She could feel his arousal pressed against her abdomen. She didn't want him to stop. She needed him, all of him.

Lee raised his head to capture her lips again. As he did, he looked into her passion-filled eyes. "You are my Angel, Amanda. You have saved my soul from eternal loneliness," he whispered.

Amanda gently caressed his cheek. "Make love to me, Lee." Taking his hand in hers, she turned towards the bedroom.

Following Amanda into the room, Lee glanced once more at the stars above. "Thank you for sending me my best friend, an Angel," he whispered, as he closed the balcony doors and turned his attention back to the wonderful woman who had captured his heart.

THE END


End file.
